Santa Baby
by Katie-Scarlett83
Summary: An alternate universe Christmas fic revolving around the lives of Belle Black and Shawn Brady. Tag Line: All Madison Renee Black wants for Christmas is a prince for her Mommy and a Daddy for herself. (Completed)
1. Prologue

It wasn't anything to be ashamed of she told herself as she applied the very last of her makeup. Though it wasn't her childhood dream, it paid well, and money was just about the only thing that truly concerned her at the moment. She wasn't particularly greedy, just human and being human meant that she had bills to pay, mouths to feed, and a life to keep up with.   
  
So pride and self-worth aside, she took the only job that she could find available to a twenty-three year old high school dropout, and every weeknight from eight p.m. till one a.m., she danced and served drinks at _The Pink Flamingo_ on Peachtree Street in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.  
  
It wasn't a strip bar, per see, it was more of a club. A club that hired women to prance around in sexy outfits while serving drinks and taking breaks to dance on the club's stage. Nothing to be ashamed of. She didn't dance nude, she didn't sell herself, and she didn't take any shit from drunk idiots. Though she was frowned upon by most of society, she wasn't ashamed of what had become of her life. Not one bit.  
  
Very carefully, she applied the Candy Apple red lipstick she'd been ordered to wear with this new getup. It matched the skimpy outfit perfectly, and sadly enough made her look like some kind of a tramp.  
  
In the mirror of her dressing table, she smiled at the little girl with golden curls who played in the middle of the sparsely furnished room with her ragged teddy bear. _That_, Belle Black thought allowing her red lips to curve into a rare smile, was the reason she worked in this deadend job. _That_ was her reason for living and being.  
  
_That_ was her little girl Madison. 


	2. Chapters One and Two

**Santa Baby~Chapter 1**

  
  
Pregnant at seventeen, dropping out of high school her senior year, living in a sardine can of an apartment in the slums of town. With all that against her, Belle Black _still_ somehow managed to think that she was better than anyone else.  
  
She stood across the room, away from the other girls, and alone. She spent most of her time in the backstage area before a show, alone. Meredith Danner thought it was the snob in Belle that kept her from socializing. In fact, she was _sure_ that Belle thought she was too good to be working at the Flamingo. And for that, Meredith had developed a extreme dislike for the woman she barely knew.  
  
She watched Belle now, studying her nails and humming the song they were to sing. Lord, she'd love to go up to her and just pull her hair. Just like she used to do as a kid, whenever she didn't like one of the other girls on the playground, she just tugged at their hair and took pride in the fact that she could make them cry. She'd _love_ to see Belle cry. She'd absolutely _love_ it.  
  
"All right, ladies, five minutes till show time." A tall man rushed into the crowd girls, clapped his hands twice and immediately received the attention of everyone in the room. "And let's remember, this is our opening for the holiday season, which means it should be a step above our regular shows. I want you girls to knock 'em dead." His bright blue eyes skimmed the faces, landed on Belle's. "Miss Black, I need a word with you after the show." With a knowing smile, he stepped out of the room and left the girls whispering and speculating.  
  
Alex Turner was the owner of _The Pink Flamingo_, and the object of affection of every girl that worked there. With traditional 'golden boy' looks, he'd always been the envy of other men and the prize-to-be-won for women. With his dazzling blue eyes begging for attention, he rarely went unnoticed in a crowd; however, one woman in particular hadn't seemed to notice him yet. And that one woman had become his objective.  
  
He could still remember the day he hired Belle Black. It'd been over two years ago now. Two long, painfully frustrating years of looking and never--ever touching. She pranced around in the costumes that he'd chosen just for her. She danced the seductive steps that he'd had choreographed just for her. She gave him her friendship, but never anything more, while he waited and waited--just for her.   
  
She'd come in to his club as a last resort. He always liked to look at it as a twist of fate that all the restaurants in town weren't hiring at the time that she was searching, so desperately, for a job.  
  
Her little girl was sick, he remembered. Terribly sick, and she'd needed a job that offered health insurance. He always had. He paid his girls next-to-nothing, but rewarded them with tons of benefits and fair treatment. When she learned that he _did_ offer health insurance, which would take effect almost immediately, she snatched the job up like a starving puppy would snatch up a scrap of meat.   
  
He smiled on it now as he stepped into the janitor's closet that he'd converted into an office. Belle Black with her blonde curls and bright blue eyes, who was so shy in her first few weeks of work that he'd allowed her to serve drinks in jeans and a T-shirt. He'd never done anything like that for any of his dancers before, and he never would again. Belle was special. She was amazing. He knew it the moment he saw her and had been doting on the fact ever since.  
  
A wicked grin was playing across his lips when he heard the music start up. With that same grin plastered to his face, he straightened his tie and stepped out into the club to enjoy the show.  
  
The outfits he'd chosen for the dance looked very much like something a _Rockette_ would dance in. It was a _Mrs. Clause_ costume, not very original, but damn sexy to any male who had eyes. Red velvet stretched seductively across the bodice, down the torso and extended out into a girlish little skirt that left nothing to the imagination. Both the skirt and collar were trimmed with faux white fur, as was the Santa hat that each of the girl's wore on their head. Red, fishnet hose stretched up the length of their legs and highlighted the thin, long lines of them. At the end of those legs, bright red stiletto heels had each of the beautiful ladies reaching towards the ceiling. Their matching Candy Apple lipstick added a layer of seduction to the costumes and left many of the customers drooling and drunk.  
  
A smile of satisfaction spread across his lips as he watched them prance, shake, slide and shimmy to the music. Each girl adding their own unique and sensual move to the dance. Oh yes, he was opening the holiday season off right, and this year, he was going to have his own little Mrs. Clause to toy with.  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  
  
Though he told her to come into his office _immediately_ after the show, she made a quick detour to the dressing rooms, in order to remove her lipstick and regain some of her composure. She'd seen his eyes so fixated on her during the dance. She'd seen the unmistakable heat that had come into them, and it had left her in shambles.  
  
She would have had to have been blind to not be attracted to the man. Those blue eyes, that amazingly lean and muscled body. Oh yeah, she could slip right into bed with him and never flutter an eyelash about it. But thinking with hormones was a dangerous mistake that she'd never make again.   
  
He reminded her too much of Phillip, and boys/men like Phillip and Alex only meant trouble for girls like her. She dampened a wash cloth and rubbed it across her lips. The red lipstick disappeared, leaving her full, sensuous lips natural and naked. Phillip used to have a fit when she'd not worn lipstick or makeup in public. He'd seen it as uncivilized. He'd seen _her_ as uncivilized.  
  
And now, thinking back on all the heartache that young man with the beautiful blue eyes and the terribly cold heart, she realized what a mistake she'd made by falling in love with him. Of course, Maddy had been the result of that mistake and Maddy was _anything_ but a mistake. Still, she couldn't risk losing her heart to another sack of shit.  
  
With a determined look on her face, she threw on a robe, wheeled away from her dressing table and ran smack into Meredith Danner.  
  
Meredith was a petite woman with curves that could have made her millions as an underwear model. Her mousy brown hair hung naturally to her shoulders and did this little bouncing thing that drove men up the wall. With the big, green eyes of a goddess, she knew she was beautiful and used that beauty to her benefit. Now, however, her pretty mouth was turned down in a scowl and her glowing eyes were dark with annoyance. "Watch where you're going, Barbie." She spat, spinning on her heal and heading in the opposite direction.  
  
Belle shook her head and fell back into step. She didn't understand what she'd done to Meredith or any of the others, but dammit, she was an outcast among outcasts, and there was nothing more lonely than that.  
  
With a sigh, she lifted a hand and knocked on Alex's office door. "Come on in." His voice was sharp and annoyed and made Belle wonder what she'd done wrong this time. Cautiously, she opened the door and stepped through. He was seated at his desk. With his hands propped behind his head and his legs stretched out across the desk, she imagined that no one in the world could look any less professional than he. He wore a foolishly sexy grin, and she could've sworn that his eyes were glued to her chest. She smiled, sheepishly and gathered her robe close to her neck as to close off any view he might have had.  
  
"You needed me?"   
  
He thought it was pretty foolish of her to try and cover herself up, especially when he'd already seen all that she had to offer, but with that sexy grin still plastered to his face, he straightened himself in his own seat and offered her the one across from him. "Yeah, we need to talk about Christmas bonuses." He lifted a hand and ruffled his mess of golden hair. "You see--well, the economy is down. No one goes to clubs anymore, especially our kind of club. Times are rough and well--Christ, I know how much you need it, Belle, but I'm not going to be able to give bonuses this year. It just isn't possible."  
  
She had somewhat expected it, but the fact that she had didn't weaken the blow. Tears immediately flooded her beautiful eyes, then streamed down her face. What was she going to do? What was she going to do about Maddy's Christmas? "But--Alex, that money goes towards Maddy's Christmas gifts. Lord knows, I don't make enough without it to pay the bills and give my little girl the kind of Christmas she deserves."   
  
When he got up from his desk and crossed over to her, she didn't turn away from the shoulder he offered and instead buried herself in it. "Oh God, Alex, what am I going to do? She'll be heartbroken."  
  
She felt so warm and soft pressed into him like that. But now wasn't the time to try to get in her pants, now was the time for comforting. "What about your parents? Can't they help you out?"  
  
She laughed despite herself, then pulled away, out of his reach. "You know as well as I do that they walked out of my life when they found out about Madison. They'll never be able to support me--morals and pride have always stood in their way. Besides, I don't want their help. I want to be able to give my little girl gifts from my own money. Money that I've earned." She took a step towards the office door, before glancing back at him. "Thanks for telling me in private, Al. It means a lot."  
  
With a heavy heart, he smiled. "No problem. Now get home to that little girl of yours and give her a big kiss for me." His smile faded. To his surprise and horror, he could picture Maddy's little round face. He could picture the bright, sad tears streaming down those pudgy cheeks when she woke up on Christmas morning and realized she'd been forgotten by Santa. It broke his heart. "I'm so sorry, Belle. Christ, I'm so sorry."  
  
"So am I, Alex, so am I."  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 2**

  
  
If there was one soft spot in Meredith Danner's cold heart, then it was directed towards children. Even Belle Black's little girl had her mesmerized and charmed. She didn't even mind that Belle brought Madison with her to work every night. Though it wasn't the type of environment she'd want her own little girl in, she was happy to have Maddy's smiling face waiting for her after every show. Meredith went so far as insisting that she spend her breaks in the dressing room playing and watching after that adorable girl.  
  
With a permanent smile plastered to her face, she watched as Maddy raced around the room, holding her teddy bear up high and claiming that it could fly. For a six year old, Madison Renee Black certainly had very adult looks. She'd been blessed with her mother's eyes and her father's dimples. The golden curls that hung loosely to her shoulders were her most attractive feature and gave her the delightful appearance of a tiny fairy child. She smiled her charming smile now as she played with Da, her worn-out teddy bear. He was her prized possession and kept wonderful company while Mommy was working.  
  
She didn't really like it when her Mommy worked. There was always a fear, in her young, naive heart, that her Mommy would disappear as her Daddy had so long ago. But her Mommy would always return and no matter what time it was would wake her up and tell her a bedtime story.   
  
She stopped piloting Da when the door to the dressing room swung open and her Mommy walked in. Without a single moment of hesitation, she bounced across the room and threw herself into her mother's waiting arms. "Mommy! Are you done working? Did you have a good day? Are we going to read a story now?" Her questions flowed out quicker than Belle could comprehend them, but with a patience that only a mother could possess, she swung her daughter around the room and did a little dance.  
  
"Yes," she began, kissing Maddy's plump cheeks. "I _am_ done working. My day was _wonderful_. We are going to read a story, just give Mommy a minute to change clothes." She let out an exasperated breath and smiled. "Is that all?"  
  
Maddy beamed at her in total adoration and tightened her grip around her neck. "Nope--I love you, Mommy, and I'm glad you got home early tonight." Craning her neck, she looked back at Meredith. "Aren't you glad she's home early, Aunt Meredith?"   
  
_Glad_ wasn't exactly the word for it. Curious, Meredith tipped her head to the side and smiled knowingly at Belle. "Of course I'm glad, honey. Did Alex give you the rest of the night off, Belle?"  
  
Belle could see the wheels turning in her colleague's head, and she didn't much care for it. Meredith was probably thinking that Al had called her into his office to fire her or fuss her out or some other wretched thing that only a true enemy could wish for a person. Pursing her lips, Belle sat Maddy back onto the floor and stripped away her robe. "If you must know, then yes, he did give me the night off. Oh, and he also told me to relay the message that he wants to have a meeting with the rest of y'all after the final shift."  
  
The wicked smile slid off of Meredith's face. "Well then, I'll just leave you two be. I reckon y'all will go home tonight?"  
  
She would get her daughter out of this hell hole anytime the opportunity rang. It was usually too late when Belle got off her shift to walk home, so Al had fixed up a couple of bunks in the upstairs apartment, and more often than not, Belle found herself sleeping at the club. "Yes, we're going to get a Christmas tree, aren't we, Madison?" How they would pay for it, she didn't exactly know quite yet.  
  
With a delighted squeal, Maddy began racing across the room again. "YAAAAAAYYYY!!!"  
  
"All right, sugar and spice, come and give Aunt Meredith a hug."   
  
Belle watched as her daughter raced into Meredith's waiting arms. She respected the relationship that had bloomed between the two and couldn't help but feel a tug of envy. Not of Meredith, but of her daughter and the way Meredith had warmed up to her, no questions asked. She herself longed for that type of friendship and wished desperately that she could find it with Meredith.  
  
"'Night, Aunt Meredith, I love you." Madison placed a smacking kiss on her friend's cheek then bolted away and out the door.   
  
Her mother lingered, however, and offered Meredith a small smile. "Thank you." She mouthed, before rushing after Maddy.   
  
Meredith stayed in the dressing room for the rest of her break, thinking about Madison Black and her mother.  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  
  
Getting dragged to some kind of a bachelor party after work was _not_ his idea of a quiet evening. In fact, all he really wanted to do was crawl into bed and spend the evening watching television and drinking beer. But, seeing how that wasn't an option, he sulked, quietly, in the back seat of his Jason Hyatt's car and allowed himself to be dragged away to Lord knows where.  
  
Shawn Brady listened and responded halfheartedly to his friends' argument over which strip club to go to. They'd narrowed the choices down to _Grin and Bare It_, a 'classy' little joint on the wrong side of town, and _The Pink Flamigo_, which was not _technically_ a strip club at all.   
  
His vote was for _Grin and Bare It_ all the way. After all, if he _had_ to go to this stupid bachelor party thing for this stupid friend, he would milk it for all it was worth and an 'almost' strip club was just not going to cut it.  
  
Blake Morrow had been engaged to the lovely, long-legged Julianne Green for two, wonderfully romantic years, and finally, the two were going to tie the knot.  
  
Shawn and Blake had been best friends since grade school and now Blake was getting married. It was almost too much for a guy to take in. How old were they now, anyway? Twenty-six? Twenty-seven? Much too young to be tying the knot. Much too young to be anywhere _near_ the knot. But, despite Shawn's desperate efforts to talk up the wonderful advantages of a single life, Blake had gone and proposed to Jules.  
  
It wasn't so much that Shawn had a _problem_ with Jules. In fact, she was great. Beautiful, smart, charming, witty. Hell, maybe _he_ should try to steal her away and marry her. The only problem with that was that the idea of marriage just wasn't very appealing to him at all. He had a feeling that it had something to do with that whole 'till-death-do-us-part' thing. Those five words scared the shit out of him.  
  
"Shawn, yoo-hoo." Blake's hand waved in front of his friend's face, hoping to snap him out of whatever he'd slipped into. "We decided on _The Pink Flamingo_, that good with you?"  
  
Shawn's chocolate-colored eyes focused on Blake's beaming face. "Yeah, sounds good." He mumbled, directing his attention back out the window and hoping that all thoughts--and fears--of marriage were gone for good. 


	3. Chapters Three and Four

**Santa Baby~Chapter 3**

  
  
With her arms full of her daughter, her costume, and her suitcase, Belle shuffled through the crowd at _The Pink Flamingo_. Finally, after almost a solid week of staying at the club, she was taking her little girl home. Where they both belonged. And before they went home, they were going to stop off to get a Christmas tree with the fifty bucks Alex had stuffed into Belle's pocket before leaving.  
  
The lights of the club danced and winked over them as she tried to push a couple of dancers out of the way. Dammit, about this time every night they would begin to get rowdy, and the worst of their partying was yet to come. Belle couldn't really understand the point of partying. In the prime of her 'wild' years, she'd been changing diapers and working two jobs.   
  
So, she'd missed out on the appeal of going out and getting drunk or having meaningless sex with someone you barely knew. Sure, many people thought that her sleeping with Phillip Kiriakis, her childhood sweetheart, had been meaningless, but she'd known that, for her, it was nothing but love.  
  
He was the first boy to kiss her. The first boy to tell her he loved her. And the first boy she had sex with. And he'd been the last.   
  
When he found out that she was pregnant, the boy that she thought she loved and who she thought loved her back, wasted no time in leaving her. Leaving her and her baby and her childhood behind to rot. No, she didn't resent him. Lord, he was only eighteen years old. And yet, she was a year younger, and she didn't choose to run away from her problems or her love.   
  
So, she suffered through a difficult pregnancy without the support of a husband. Or a family.   
  
The Blacks had been appalled when she told them that she was pregnant. Her father, John Black, a man with a rigid hand and a soft heart, had just stopped loving her. She'd convinced herself of that. She'd convinced herself that he no longer cared. Her mother, Marlena Black, stood by her husband at every turn and never offered Belle anything. They still wouldn't talk to their daughter. After six years, they still wouldn't talk to her.  
  
With a sigh, she shifted Maddy on her hip and scowled at a couple of drunken fools. "Come on, guys, why don't we call you a cab?"  
  
The men proceeded to laugh in her face, then stumbled off after a couple of waitresses. Belle shook her head and finally made her way out of the club. The night air was crisp and pleasant. And reminded her of Christmas's long ago. Christmas's now forgotten, when she and her parents would step out into the December air and go tree hunting or hang decorations on the house. They would smile and laugh and just be together.   
  
  
"Mommy, let's sing a Christmas song." Maddy's voice had Belle snapping back into the present. She looked down into her daughter's beaming face and set her down to the ground of the crowded parking lot. For old time's sake, she wanted to stay out in the December air for a few moments longer.   
  
"All right, sweetie, what would you like to sing?"  
  
Maddy scrunched her face up in consideration. Made Belle smile when she brought a tiny finger to her chin. "Rudolph." She finally stated, very decisively. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer."  
  
"Rudolph it is!" Her motherly instincts had her wrapping Madison's coat more firmly around her and zipping it up. "Will you begin or shall I?"  
  
"You!"  
  
"Okay..." Belle glanced across the parking lot to be sure no one was around. Though she danced almost nude every night, she still had a little streak of shyness in her and didn't like for people to hear her voice. "...you know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen...oh, you know Comet and Cupid, and Donder and Blitzen. But do you recall? The most famous reindeer of all..."  
  
Maddy took the stage now and began prancing around like a deer. "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed..."  
  
At the sound of screeching brakes and squealing tires, the song ended, and Belle had Maddy scooped up in her arms and rushed to the curb just in time for the red sports car to come to a halt right where they'd been standing.   
  
Fear came first and left quickly, then was replaced by fury. Pure rage pumped through her veins as she sat a now crying Madison on the curb and watched four, laughing jackasses exit the car. "You assholes." She screamed, stalking right up to them.   
  
She poked a finger at the wide-eyed driver's chest and glared up at him. It barely registered that the man was absolutely gorgeous with dark blonde hair and light blue eyes. All she could see was a big-assed idiot. "What the hell were you thinking? Are you insane? You could've killed us. My little girl was out here." She looked over her shoulder at Madison. "You made my daughter cry." She hissed between clenched teeth.  
  
"Jesus." Was the only thing Jason Hyatt could think to say as his gaze passed from enraged mother to hysterical daughter.   
  
A taller man stepped in front of Jason, offered a small smile. "We're sorry, ma'am. We weren't really expecting someone to be in the middle of the parking lot. We all had Jason here laughing and not paying attention to the road. And I take full responsibility, as it is my bachelor party that we're all rushing to."  
  
Belle blinked up at the taller man and continued to scowl. He had extremely kind eyes and a soft, pale face. She couldn't help but forgive him. "No, it's okay. I guess I overreacted. You just scared us."  
  
Shawn Brady had only to hear the sound of the child's cries and was already crouched down beside her, trying to soothe. His large hand ran up and down the girl's back in a comforting gesture, and he was proud to say that it was working. The sobs were stopping and the girl was now studying him with intense eyes. "You almost ran over my mommy." She stated matter-of-factly, poking out her bottom lip and hiccuping.  
  
He automatically glanced up, discovered that everyone's attention had turned to him and the girl, and quickly averted his eyes back down. "But we didn't run over her." He grinned sheepishly at her and touched a finger to her nose. "Or you."  
  
The perfectly adorable, absolutely heart-wrenching scene had Belle stepping forward and picking Madison up. "Are you okay, honey?" She asked, burying her face in her daughter's golden curls.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Maddy's eyes were focused on Shawn's in the darkness. "I'm Madison Renee Black." She stated, rather proudly.  
  
Shawn chuckled and offered his hand. "I'm Shawn Douglas Brady, and I'm terribly sorry we almost ran over you and your mommy." His eyes were now intent on that very same mommy. He was very busy memorizing every curve of her face and the startling blueness of her eyes.   
  
"Thanks." Belle deliberately looked away from Shawn and back to the other men. "Y'all can go on in, the party's just getting started."  
  
Blake, Jason, and Ray Perry all nodded and offered final apologies before slipping away to the door of the club.   
  
"Well, Madison Renee, I really hate to leave such wonderful company, but I should get in there before those guys get themselves in more trouble. It was a pleasure, pretty girl. Maybe we'll meet again sometime." His eyes were fixed on Belle's as he backed away.   
  
Madison waved and grinned when he disappeared into the club. "He was pretty, Mommy."  
  
"Yes. Yes, he was." She allowed her gaze to linger on the doors of the club before her eyes landed back on her daughter's. "Let's got get us a Christmas tree."  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 4**

  
  
He winced when the loud music and bright lights of _The Pink Flamingo_ filled his ears and eyes. It'd been a rough day, and he just didn't need this right now. He'd graduated from law school two years ago, was one of the top lawyers in his firm, and had yet to adjust to the rough schedule and trying emotional aspect of his job. So, his life had become his job and vice versa and every night he came directly home and went directly to bed.  
  
Except tonight.  
  
Spotting his buddies over at the bar, Shawn shoved past several drunken men and skimpily dressed waitresses then scowled down at his friends. "We haven't been here five minutes and you guys are already working on getting drunk." He flopped down on a stool next to Blake. "It's sad really."  
  
Blake simply chuckled and slapped Shawn on the back companionably. "Here, son, have a drink. Loosen your tie. And for God's sake pull that stick out of your ass. Shit, Shawn, all you've done all night is complain. Can't you relax for one night? For me?"  
  
Shawn grunted, took a sip of the beer that had been set in front of him. "Whatever."  
  
"Thatta boy." Noticing that Jase and Ray were preoccupied, Blake leaned closer to his friend. "So, what happened between you and that blonde waitress that was on her way out?"  
  
"The one we almost ran over?"  
  
At Blake's nod, Shawn took another sip of his beer. "I don't know what you're talking about, man. We almost ran over her, her kid was crying, she was pissed off, and we fixed it. End of story."  
  
Jesus, Blake thought as he studied Shawn's profile, I know this jackass _way_ too well. "Shawn, how long've we been friends?"  
  
"I don't know." He shrugged, looked back at Blake with a raised eyebrow. "Forever?"  
  
"Exactly, that means I know you just about as well as or better than you know yourself. The blonde girl was making cow eyes at you, and you were makin' them back at her _and_ her little girl. Now, I hadn't been followin' it all that closely, but how long's it been since you looked at a girl like that?" At Shawn's silent response, Blake shrugged. "Hell, son, I know you've had dates, sex, all that shit, but that's the first time in a _long_ time that you haven't tried to pick up a beautiful broad. I figure it's because somethin'--how should I put this? Well, somethin' _passed_ between you. A mutual attraction, if you will, that you both were too shy to act on." He chuckled then. "Fuck, did I just call you shy?"  
  
Curious, Shawn looked at Blake's face for a few moments then grinned broadly. "Hell, Blake, you're full of shit." He laughed, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder. "If I'm not mistaken this is _your_ bachelor party, and I'm supposed to be the one that's ridin' _your_ ass, not vice versa." He looked over Blake's head, whistled and waited until Ray and Jase's attention came back to them. "Hey, dumb and dumber, let's get this party started."  
  
With a celebratory 'whoop', Jason grabbed a passing waitress by the waist and shoved her into Blake's lap. "Par-tay!"  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  
  
With a little sigh, she unlocked the door to the faded-blue Pinto. She couldn't really afford to have a car, but then again she couldn't really afford to _not_ have a car, so it was a lose-lose situation. The Pinto was hideous and old, but it could get from point A to point B and that would just have to be enough for the time being.  
  
The high price of gas and her inability to afford car insurance were just two more reasons that she spent so many nights at the bar. After all, she couldn't possibly _walk_ the ten miles to her apartment every night, especially with Maddy. So, she'd purchased the car with her last three vacation bonuses which she'd saved so vehemently. And, when she needed to get home, it served its purpose.  
  
She buckled Maddy into the passenger seat. "Want to listen to the radio, baby?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
She clicked on the radio and turned the tuner until she found the _one_ station that would pick up. Lucky for her, the station was playing nonstop Christmas tunes and every time she turned to it she had the pleasure of seeing her daughter's face light up. Sinatra's crooning voice was on now. He was singing a very stirring rendition of Judy Garland's _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas_.   
  
Belle couldn't help but sigh as she threw the Pinto into first and headed out of the parking lot. The sound of Sinatra always reminded her of her Daddy. He was a fan of all those wonderful fifties crooners and was always playing an old Crosby, Como, or Martin record. It was the voice of Belle's past. The voice of childhood and happiness. A time of no responsibilities. A time when her father loved her.  
  
_"And have yourself a merry, little Christmas night..."_ She sighed again as the song came to an end and _Frosty the Snowman_ began playing. "All right, Madison, where would you like to go to find a tree?"  
  
Maddy simply shrugged and joined in on the chorus of _Frosty_. "Frosty the Snowman was a fairy tale they say--Mommy, can I ask Santa for something special this Christmas?"  
  
Belle's heart sank. No, she thought, sadly, you _can't_ ask Santa for something special this year. Santa's broke. Instead of telling the truth, she smiled, grabbed Maddy's hand and kissed it. "Of course, baby. What something special are you going to ask him for?"  
  
"A daddy."  
  
Her heart _broke_ this time. She glanced over at her daughter. "A daddy? You want a daddy from Santa Claus?"  
  
Madison sighed dramatically and turned her attention out the window. "More than _anything_." She whispered, looking up at the stars. "That man in the parking lot was nice. Maybe I should ask for him."  
  
"What man, baby?" Though her heart was aching, she managed to smile over at Madison. Her poor, baby girl. She'd never know the love of a father.  
  
"Shawn Douglas Brady."   
  
This time Belle's lips curved automatically. Her daughter was pretty smart if she was going to ask Santa Clause for that handsome hunk of male. "Well, sweetie, I don't really think Santa's specialty is daddy's. He might have a hard time filling that order."  
  
"Can I ask just in case?"  
  
The hopeful tone of Madison's voice was something no mother could turn away from. She just couldn't break her little girl's heart, no matter how much she knew it would hurt her eventually. So Belle lied. "Of course you can, baby. You can ask for anything you'd like." 


	4. Chapters Five and Six

**Santa Baby~Chapter 5**

  


**_I'm dreaming of a White Christmas  
Just like the ones I used to know  
Where the treetops glisten   
And children listen  
To hear sleigh bells in the snow_**

  
  
Belle hummed happily along with Bing Crosby as she and Maddy added the final touches to the "prettiest Christmas tree in the world" as Maddy had so eloquently dubbed it. Belle had to admit, it _was_ an extremely beautiful tree. One of the most beautiful trees that she'd ever seen. It'd taken all of the fifty dollars that Alex had given her, but no matter, she planned on paying every cent of it back.  


**_I'm dreaming of a White Christmas  
With every Christmas card I write  
May your days be merry and bright  
And may all your Christmases be white_**

  
  
She stood back in order to properly judge the tree. They'd used the decorations of Christmases past. Some of them had been made by Maddy herself at kindergarten, with extreme love and care. Some had been Belle's as a child and brought back stirring memories of childhood and love. All in all, it was a tree that represented love: old and new. And Belle was pleased. And happy. "Well, Madison Renee, what do you think?"  
  
Maddy glanced up from her decorating, then jumped up to go and stand beside her mother. "It's great!" She exclaimed, jumping around the room until she caught the look in her Mommy's eyes. Instantly the childhood joy melted away into very grownup concern. "What's wrong? Has our pretty tree made you sad?"   
  
Belle silently cursed herself for being so foolish. She wiped impatiently at the tears that were streaming down her face, then put on her brightest smile. "No, baby, I'm crying because I'm happy. I'm so wonderfully happy." She pulled Madison into her arms. "You make me happy, you know that?"  
  
"You make me happy too." Wiggling out of the embrace, Madison darted back into her bedroom then return with her hands behind her back. "I have a surprise for you." She announced proudly.  
  
Her mother grinned down at her. "A surprise?"  
  
"Yep, somethin' I made in art class just for you."  
  
Belle struggled to fight back the tears. Dammit, why was she so friggin' emotional lately? And what on earth had she done to deserve such a blessed little girl? "Oh, Madison."  
  
Before her Mommy could start that silly blubbering again, Madison presented the ornament proudly. It caught the single light of the sparsely furnished living room and shone brightly in her tiny hands. Mrs. Thompson, her art teacher, said that she went a little overboard with the glitter, but Madison thought that it was just right. To an outsider, it would've seemed tacky, maybe even a bit ugly, but to a mother, the tiny cardboard star covered in glitter was perfect. Just perfect.  
  
Belle sighed and snatched it greedily away from her little girl. "Oh, baby, this is so beautiful. Did I ever tell you what a wonderful artist you are? If not, then you're a wonderful artist." She pressed the star to her heart, then wrapped her free arm around Madison. "I love you, baby."  
  
"I love you too."  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**3 hours later, across town in Julianne Green's apartment**

  
  
Jules Green was worried out of her friggin' mind. It wasn't that late. Not really. Only one o'clock in the morning. Hell, most bachelor parties lasted all night. Yet, _most_ bachelor parties didn't have Jason Hyatt as its host.  
  
It wasn't that she didn't like Jason. It was hard _not_ to like the horny goofball, but she just didn't trust him. Not at an adult bar with her husband. Nope, she just didn't trust him.  
  
She let out a sigh of relief when she heard the sound of tires squealing across the parking lot of Mossy Bottom Apartments. "Dammit, Blake, I'm going to strangle you, but not before I kiss you." She murmured, marching to the door and waiting for the buzz of the intercom. "Yeah?"  
  
Where were they again? _Who_ were they again? Why were they at Jules' apartment? Oh yeah. Shawn shifted a very drunk Blake so that he was propped against the wall, then pressed the intercom button. "It's Shawn. I'm drunk. So is Blake. So is Jase. Don't worry, we had a designated driver. I just don't remember his name. Oh wait, it's Ray. Ray didn't drink a single drop. I cross my heart." His forehead fell forward and banged against the wall. "Shit, Jules, will you let us up?"  
  
Julianne merely shook her head, unlocked the outside door, and waited. She couldn't _wait_ to get her claws into Blake and then Shawn and then Jase and Ray. When there was a bang at the door, she figured that was as close as they could get to a knock and reluctantly pulled it open, then stepped wisely out of the way. Two polluted idiots stumbled through, grinning like fools.   
  
"Umm, I think you lost two of your buddies." Jules replied, offering a supporting arm to her future husband.   
  
Blake was much too drunk to comprehend, so Shawn spoke for him. "Jase and what's-his-name had to get home. They just dumped us out here and sped away." He made a gesture with his hand and 'whooshed' through his teeth. "I'll just call a cab."  
  
Jules watched Shawn stumble out of the room, then turned on her fiancee. "You know, I was going to be mad at you. I was going to punish you for a few days, pout a little, but dammit, I think the hangover you'll have in the morning is payback enough. 'Night, honey."  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 6**

  
  
For whatever reason, Tuesdays were the busiest night at _The Pink Flamingo_. Each of Alex's girls worked their asses off. Flirting with drunken fools, hauling trays of beer back and forth between the bar and the tables that were scattered across the club, and taking breaks in between to dance to nice, chipper holiday songs.  
  
It'd been almost a week since he'd broken everyones' hearts about the Christmas bonuses, and he felt pretty sure that all was forgiven and forgotten. With a little smirk on his face, he took a drag of his cigarette and leaned against the bar, his eyes intent on Belle Black's ass. Meredith Danner, who was filling an order, noticed where her boss's gaze was fixed and let out a snort. "Nice view, Al?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow and stifling a giggle when he started at her voice.  
  
"Damn, Meredith, shut up. Don't you have somethin' better to do than ragging on me all the time? Whose ass I watch is my own damn business, don't you think?" He crushed out his cigarette and turned that cool gaze to her.  
  
She'd been putting up with his shit for almost eight years. Their on-again, off-again relationship had brought her hours of emotional turmoil, and dammit, if she wasn't still jealous of all that drooling he did over Belle. "She's got a kid, Al. You're not the type of guy who wants to get involve with a woman that has a kid."  
  
He was almost offended, but not quite, and with a shrug made a grab for Meredith and pulled her against him. "You're jealous." He whispered, brushing her wild hair out of her eyes.  
  
"What?" God, she couldn't think. How could _anyone_ think when they were this close to six feet of gorgeous male?  
  
"I said, you're jealous. Green looks good on you, baby." Because he liked her, and because he knew it would infuriate her, he nipped at her ear. "Why don't you slip by my office after your shift ends tonight?"  
  
Shivers shot down her spin as she wiggled out of his embrace. "Nope, not this time, Al. I'm not playing the replacement anymore." With that said, she gathered up her refilled tray and strutted off, feeling satisfied that she'd wounded his ego properly.  
  
And it had. He watched her leave with a little regret. Good ol' Meredith had always been there for him. Hell, she'd been about the only 'real' friend that he'd ever had. He didn't want the type of thing that she wanted. He wanted to keep everything simple. But with her, it'd never been simple. On their first night together, she'd claimed that she was in love with him. Christ, he didn't have time for love, and because he was afraid that he too might've been in love, he ended the relationship there, and though there had been a few wild nights since then, he was sure that she understood his intentions.  
  
His gaze fell back to Belle. Maybe he should just give that up. After all, Meredith did have a point. He didn't need strings attached to any girl he slept with or dated...and Belle Black had plenty of strings. Taking a last sip of his beer, he sauntered off to patrol the empty tables. Yep, Tuesday's were always the busiest night.  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  
  
With his forehead rested on the steering wheel of his BMW, Shawn Brady considered whether or not to go in to _The Pink Flamingo_. Christ, all he wanted was a drink. A drink and another glimpse at that waitress. That beautiful woman and her beautiful little girl. Dammit, if he was smart, he'd pull out of that parking lot and never look back. Yet...  
  
It'd been a week since Blake's bachelor party. A week of extremely restless nights. It, quite frankly, blew his mind that he'd have dreams about that sad-eyed waitress and her bright-eyed little girl. After all, he hadn't really noticed either of them that night. And had hardly thought anything about seeing them at the time. But afterwards--well, simply put, he couldn't get either of them out of his head.   
  
And he was here tonight to see just what the hell that was all about. With a reluctant shrug, he jerked open his car door and unfolded himself from it's room less bounds. Christ knows why he'd bought a car that didn't accommodate his tall body and long legs in the first place. He figured it was because he was just a stubborn ass and a snob. Nothing but the best for Shawn Brady.  
  
BMWs, intelligent women, fancy restaurants, Harvard Law School. Yep, he was a snob all right. A snob that had developed an uncomfortable obsession with a girl from the wrong side's of the tracks. A _stripper_ for God's sake.  
  
Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he stepped through the doors of the club and immediately wished he hadn't. He didn't believe it was possible, but the music was even louder, the smoke even thicker, and the drunks even more obnoxious. He was already heading out when he spotted the girl.  
  
She was standing just behind the stage curtain, one hand brought up to her mouth so that she could suck on its thumb and the other holding on tight to a teddy bear. Her bottom lip was poked out into a pout and tears were streaming down her fat little face. Shawn's heart broke.  
  
"Christ." He mumbled, pushing through the crowds and heading towards the stage. Out of all the fuckin' places that child could be, this was the worst possible one. He plastered a smile on his face and prayed that she'd recognize him as he approached the stage.  
  
She did. "Shawn Douglas Brady!" She squealed, any sign of tears immediately disappearing. She leapt into his waiting arms and let him swing her for a moment. "You came back!"  
  
What the hell? He thought, kissing her pudgy cheeks. Might as well stay now, especially since the kid was there to keep him company. With her still in his arms, he slipped behind the stage curtains. "Of course I came back. I couldn't stay away from you another moment. I think I may be in love."  
  
She giggled at that and preened, then squirmed out of his arms. "Let's play!"  
  
"All right, what would you like to play?"  
  
Before she could answer, they both glanced up at the sound of Belle storming in. "Listen, asshole--" Her words froze on the tip of her tongue when she saw Shawn's beaming face. Well, shit.  
  
He stuck his hands back into his pockets and raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"  
  
Ignoring him, she folded her arms around Madison. Now was as good a time as any for a never-speak-to-strangers-lecture. "You know you're not supposed to go off with strange people you don't know, don't you, baby?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, but I know Shawn Douglas Brady."  
  
Belle couldn't keep the smile from spreading across her lips. She glanced up and met Shawn's amused expression with one of her own. "Are you trying to charm your way into my daughter's heart?"  
  
"Oh no, I've already done that. In fact, she was just about to accept my marriage proposal when you barged in on us."   
  
"Well then, I hate to do anything to spoil the evening further, but Maddy, it's past your bedtime."  
  
Madison stuck out her bottom lip and gave them her best pout. "But Mommy, I'm not sleepy yet." But she yawned even as she said it. Belle gathered her up into her arms and sent a smile to Shawn. "Thanks for looking after her. She usually doesn't wander down to the stage area. We're going to have a talk about that, aren't we, girl?"  
  
Maddy nodded and looked hopefully at Shawn. "Will you come back and play with me again, Shawn? During the day, maybe?"  
  
"Sure, I'd love to. 'Night, ladies." His eyes stayed on Belle until she disappeared into the backstage area. He would come back. In fact, he didn't think that he could _possibly_ stay away. 


	5. Chapters Seven and Eight

**Santa Baby~Chapter 7**

  
  
Belle studied her bright-eyed, innocent daughter with a frown. Madison was now tucked safely into the pitiful excuse for a bed in the little apartment upstairs. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and the words were shooting out of her mouth a mile a minute. "And--and he said that he was in _love_ with me! He actually said it!"  
  
Laughing, Belle ran a finger down her daughter's impish nose. "Yes, that's wonderful, baby. Now, can you answer me one question? Why were you downstairs in the first place? You know you're supposed to stay locked in the apartment while Mommy's working."  
  
Madison's pretty eyes immediately lost their brightness and filled with fresh tears. She hated being alone up there, especially when the nightmares came. Vivid, terrifying nightmares that left her hot and sweaty and alone. She'd had one tonight. The same one she'd been having ever since she was a little bitty thing. The one where her daddy came back...and then left again. "I--I had a bad dream." She sniffled to her mother, desperately trying to forget the heartbreak she'd experienced even in sleep.  
  
The concerned half of the mother in Belle was sweeping Madison up immediately. "Oh, Baby. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here to make the monsters go away."  
  
Not monsters, Maddy thought, but Daddy. Daddy was always the one to go away. "I wanted you to tell me a story. The one about the locket." Her tears were put on hold as she thought of her most favorite story in the world. A Christmas story about a locket. A locket that brought two young people together. A locket that brought a father and child together. She prayed that she'd someday find a father as well.   
  
"All right, then, let me go tell Alex that I'm taking my break and I'll tell it to you now. How's that?"  
  
Madison grinned and nodded, then watched her mother scurry back through the door. She loved her mommy. Loved her more than anything. And she was going to make sure that her mommy was happy, especially this Christmas. This Christmas, Santa was going to deliver the best gift ever.  
  
A prince for her mommy--and a daddy for herself.*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
**_One week till Christmas: The Pink Flamingo_**  
  
Humming the chorus of _Santa Baby_, Belle scrubbed the bar with some amount of disinterest. It figured that she got stuck with cleaning duties on the week of Christmas. Alex always managed to pass things like that onto her, claiming that she didn't have family to go home to.  
  
But she did. Even if it was a small family. She had one. Her family was Madison. And right now, when she should've been out playing in the freshly fallen snow, Madison Renee Black was helping her mommy scrub tables and wash dishes.  
  
Belle tried not to dwell on it. Told herself that it was important that Maddy was building up a good, strong work ethic. But she couldn't get past those glances that Maddy kept sending out the window. Or those hopeful little eyes twinkling with wonder at the new fallen snow. She sighed and set down her rag. "Madison, go upstairs and bundle up. We're going outside."  
  
Holding her breath, Maddy looked up. "To play?" She questioned, childhood's bright hope glitzening in her eyes.   
  
"Of course! Now scat!"  
  
Within minutes, Maddy reappeared in the club, modeling a bright pink coat, yellow boats, and a purple ski hat. Belle beamed at her, slipping into her own coat. The back lot of the club would be the perfect place to build a snowman, she thought, grabbing her daughter's hand and pulling them both outside.  
  
While Maddy shot off like a rocket, Belle's eyes landed on the single car in the parking lot. It was Meredith Danner's red 1985 Mustang. She didn't bother hiding the scowl as Meredith got out and headed towards her.   
  
"Well, well--I was coming by to check if you two needed some help, but I see that I must've got the scheduling mixed up. For some reason I thought this was your week on cleaning duty." She feigned ignorance and clucked her tongue. "Must've been wrong though, 'cause you're certainly not cleaning up--now are you?"  
  
At that moment, Belle could've enjoyed watching Meredith die a slow, painful death. She shrugged and started after her daughter. "We're taking a break to play in the snow." She called over her shoulder, matter-of-factly.  
  
"Yes, I can see that." Because she had nothing better to do, Meredith followed the mother and daughter to the back lot of the club. Snow was still spitting out of the gray sky, making everything look magical and shimmery. Meredith didn't blame them for coming out here on a day like today. In fact, she was glad they weren't working. The reason she'd come up there was that she couldn't get the image of poor Maddy washing dishes out of her head. So, she'd hopped in her car and got there as quickly as possible only to find that the image was wrong, and Belle was a better mother than she gave her credit for.  
  
The two women shared a secret grin when Madison plopped down into the snow and began making snow angels. "Oh, Mommy, Aunt Meredith, isn't it beautiful?"   
  
"Yes, that it is." Meredith giggled, then in a move that surprised Belle, collapsed down beside Maddy and made her own snow angel.  
  
Within the hour, the three girls were laughing and playing and enjoying the sweet pleasures of soft snow on a cold day. Belle and Meredith soon forgot any animosity that had existed between them and were joking and giggling like old friends. In fact, they were all so preoccupied, that no one noticed when Shawn Brady walked up to the edge of the lot.  
  
An amused smile danced across his lips as Meredith and Madison chased Belle in a full-fledged snowball fight. Always willing to help, he bent down himself, gathered up snow in his hand and sent it flying towards Belle. It hit her squarely in the butt and had her, Maddy, and Meredith, wheeling around to see where it came from.  
  
"Shawn Douglas Brady!" Maddy squealed, galloping across the lot and throwing herself at him.  
  
He scooped her up easily and kissed the tip of her red nose. "Madison Renee Black. How's my best girl today?"  
  
"Great. Me and Mommy and Aunt Meredith are playing in the snow!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes and we're having fun, aren't we, Mommy?"  
  
Belle crossed over to them, allowed her eyes to wander up and meet Shawn's. "We sure are, baby girl. In the neighborhood?" She asked Shawn, raising one golden eyebrow.  
  
"Nowhere near it actually, just thought I'd drop by. Hoped you'd be here." He set Madison back to her feet, then offered a hand to Belle. "I'm Shawn Douglas Brady, but I guess you know that. Problem is, I don't know your name."  
  
"That's right. You never asked after you nearly killed me." She took his hand, was pleased to find it warm and rough and masculine. "Belle Black."  
  
Meredith, who'd been enjoying the view of this tall, dark, handsome stranger, stepped forward and offered her own hand. "I'm Meredith Danner. A--colleague of Belle's. You have no idea how nice it is to meet _you_, sugar."  
  
Shawn chuckled, never tore his eyes from Belle. "I promised your little girl a play date. Mind if I go inside and fulfill that promise."  
  
He was wearing a pair of low-slung jeans and a flannel shirt. His hair was a mess and his smile was charming. Normally, she wouldn't fraternize with customers, but most of her customers weren't this gorgeous. "Well--I guess it'd be up to Madison--"  
  
"YES! Yes, yes, yes!" The little girl grabbed his large hand and started pulling him towards the building. "We can have a Christmas tea party. Oh! And we can play house--you'll be the daddy, I'll be the mommy!"   
  
Shawn's eyes were wild and desperate when they disappeared around the corner of the building. Belle didn't hide her amusement, nor did Meredith."Damn!" She breathed, dramatically, wheeling on Belle. "Where the hell did you find _him_?"  
  
"Well, I--" Before she could answer, Meredith was pulling her towards the club.   
  
"Never mind that, get your ass in there. I'm going home, I think you can handle things from this point on." Surprising them both, she pulled Belle to her for a quick hug. "Good luck with him, sugar."  
  
Belle stared after her, completely baffled by both Meredith Danner and Shawn Brady.  
  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 8**

  
  
Jesus Christ, what was he doing here? He was just asking for trouble. It was insane to get involved with a single mother and her kid. That was it, he was insane. He'd been driven over the edge. A mixture of stress and unhappiness had driven him crazy. And with this, he was only going to make it worse.   
  
To his surprise and great relief, the sounds and smells that usually greeted him at the club were completely gone, and there was a fresh feminine smell and the delightful sound of Maddy's quick talking to take their place. With the ghost of a smile flitting across his lips, he watched as the little girl scooted around the club, gathering up cleaning supplies on her way. "Mommy and I have cleaning duty this week." She explained patiently. "We probably should help her finish up before playing." With wonder dancing in her eyes, she glanced out the window to admire the snow. "I just _love_ snow, don't you?"  
  
Willing to help, he grabbed a bottle of _Pinesol_ from the nearest table and tossed it to Maddy. "Sure. Snow's great."  
  
"Oh, it's better than great," she replied, slipping up onto a stool in order to begin scrubbing the bar where her mother had left off. "It's the best. If we're lucky this year, we'll get a White Christmas. I asked Santa for a White Christmas one year." She stopped scrubbing to remember. "We didn't get one. Mommy says it's because we're too far South, Santa can't really change the temperature."   
  
He smiled at her competent way of cleaning. Somehow it didn't surprise him that instead of playing, they were cleaning. This little girl was responsible and loved her mother. He should've known that she'd do anything--including give up her playtime--to help her out. "What did you ask Santa for this year?"  
  
She bit her lip and a delightful little blush spread across her pudgy cheeks. "Umm--I don't think I should tell, it might not come true."  
  
Chuckling, he crossed over to her, ruffled her blond curls. "You can tell me. I won't tell a soul. Besides, I might just be able to make your wish from Santa this year come true."  
  
"You're one of Santa's helpers, too?!" Her eyes went wide with wonder.  
  
He shrugged. "Sure, I am. All adults are really."  
  
"What's it like?"  
  
"What's _what_ like?"  
  
"Being Santa's helper, silly." She giggled, and Shawn discovered that the soft sound of that giggling was music to his ears. "Mommy says that she's like a messenger for Santa. She lets him know everything I ask for."  
  
He figured that that was what mother's had been telling their children for years. It made him remember the times that his mother had told him the exact same tale. "Yeah, well, that's pretty much what all of Santa's helpers do, but I'm kinda special. You see I help Santa with inventory, so I have access to which gifts are delivered to which children. So, wanna help a poor guy out and give me and Ol' Saint Nick a clue to what you'd like this year?"  
  
Her eyes twinkled with childlike amusement. "Do you know Santa personally?"  
  
"Of course," He reached out and tickled her sides. "Come on, Madison Renee, what do you want for Christmas?"  
  
She focused her attention to her feet, and felt a hot wave of embarrassment sweep over her. How could she possibly tell him that she wanted _him_ for Christmas? Biting her lip, she decided that she couldn't and better be vague. Even if he did know Santa personally, she couldn't risk scaring him off. "A daddy."   
  
A daddy? Shit, he was hoping she'd say a doll, a bike. Hell, even a pony, but a _daddy_. That was something that even the richest of young lawyers couldn't buy. "You want a daddy for Christmas?" He asked, nearly choking on the words.  
  
She knew he'd think she was a doofus. Why hadn't she just asked for a doll or a bike? Or a pony? Mortified, she whispered a quiet "yes".  
  
In an effort to make them both a bit more comfortable, he leaned casually against the bar and tugged one of her curls. "Well then, I'll pass that along to Santa. I'm sure he'll do the best he can."  
  
As Belle was coming back inside, Madison was wrapping her arms around Shawn's neck. The simple embrace tugged at Belle's heartstrings and left a terrible void and longing. She'd stayed outside for almost ten minutes, just pacing and thinking. Thinking about why Shawn had come back, why he kept coming back, and why she was having the same reaction to his coming back. She considered that hope that entered her heart every time she saw him and tried to brush it off as a response to his tender relationship with her little girl. But deep down, she knew, it was something more.  
  
She cleared her throat and watched the hug break. "Madison Renee Black, get your tail off that counter and take Mr. Brady upstairs to play with you. That's what he came here for, not to clean, silly goose."  
  
Shawn lifted a hand, offered a smile. "No, I came here to visit Maddy. If getting to see her and talk to her involves cleaning, well, so be it."  
  
"Even so. Maddy, go on upstairs, baby, you have the rest of the day off." She turned her attention back to Shawn. "And you go, too. I'll have no man trying to clean up the club, you'll probably do a horrible job."  
  
"Come on, Shawn!" Madison squealed, tugging at his hand.  
  
"Wait, wait just a minute, Madison Renee. Your Mom and I need to have a meeting." He lowered his voice and sent her a wink. "A Santa's Helpers' meeting."  
  
"Oh!" She winked back, then scrambled across the room and up the stairs.  
  
When Shawn turned back, Belle's hands were on her hips and one golden eyebrow was raised in suspicion. "Santa's Helpers' meeting?"  
  
Christ, she looked beautiful. Layers of winter clothing concealed every hint of her curvy, feminine figure, but he knew it was there. Under all that wool, lay something close to heaven. He grinned, sheepishly, then crossed the room and stopped inches in front of her. "Long story."  
  
"I bet--listen, Brady, if you're trying to go through my kid to get to me, then that's the wrong path to take. Believe me, guys have tried before, and guys have failed before. You'll be no different." She let out a gasp when he grabbed her shoulders and glared at her through steely brown eyes.  
  
"I don't use innocent kids to get what I want." He growled, between clenched teeth. "Don't get me confused with the other assholes who come in here."  
  
Because she could see the rage flaming in his eyes, she decided to let the last comment slide by. "Sorry." She said, stiffly, then tried to turn away only to be held in place. "Listen--"  
  
"No, _you_ listen. I can see what you're thinking. You're trying to figure out why I've come back here. You're trying to peg me as some kind of a loser who has to use kids to get what he wants. Well, you're wrong about that, Belle. Dead wrong." His tone grew more gentle, and he ran a finger down the edge of her jaw line. "And as for the reason I came back, it's because your daughter has somehow managed to squirm her way into my heart. And--" He added, with a smirk. "Her mother intrigues me."  
  
That said, his hands slid off her shoulders, then down her arms before he broke the contact. He then turned and went upstairs to try and make one little girl's day a bit brighter. 


	6. Chapters Nine and Ten

**Santa Baby~Chapter 9**

  
  
Later that night, Meredith Danner burst through the doors of _The Pink Flamingo_ with one thing on her mind: finding Belle and drilling her for details about this new--very hot--guy in her life.  
  
She rushed back stage and pushed through the crowd of girls. "Belle! Oh, Belle-yoohoo!" She waved her hand frantically when she spotted the petite blonde at a dressing table. "Belle, honey, we _must_ find a place to talk privately before our shifts start. I _have_ to know what happened with that guy today."  
  
Ears pricked up all around the room, and an exotic looking brunette that was dressing beside Belle, stepped forward and grabbed Belle by the shoulders. "Guy?" She asked, raising an elegant black eyebrow. "Guy? Belle Black, spill. Spill it now. How dare you even _think_ of harboring sexy secrets from all your gal pals!"  
  
Belle shot Meredith a glare and made a mental note to kill her later, then shrugged and turned around to face her public. "It's nothing." She replied matter-of-factly, in a tone that her own daughter used often for pouting. "He's just a guy who happens to like my daughter."  
  
The brunette giggled, revealing a lusty, sexy laugh that drove the men wild. "Honey, they are _all_ _just_ guys. Now, tell us how you met this guy who happens to like our Madison."  
  
Always anxious to share a secret, Meredith leapt forward and took the stage. "Oh, you guys, it's so romantic. He almost ran over her." She barreled on past the questions that suddenly started. "And you should see him. Oh! He's so handsome, like a fairy tale prince, only...sexier. And bigger!"  
  
Belle raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What do you mean by _bigger_?"  
  
This comment got several giggles and a couple of gasps. Meredith only slapped her new friend on the back, companionably, and chuckled. "Get your head out of the gutter, Belle. I only meant that he seemed a little taller than a normal fairy tale prince."  
  
"Sure you did."  
  
The brunette butted in again. "All right, there are some details that we must know about this new beaux of your's, darling. Such as, eye color? Hair color? A rough description of facial characteristics." Her dramatically dark eyes narrowed wickedly. "A very _detailed_ description of his body structure, including a nice account of his ass, shoulders, and abs."  
  
"Jenifer! I can't believe you. Besides, I haven't really noticed any of that kind of stuff. I mean I guess he's pretty handsome--" Belle glanced up when Meredith grabbed her hand.  
  
"Pretty handsome?! Oh Belle, are you blind? The man is a god! My Lord, honey, I can't believe you haven't noticed. I _won't_ believe you haven't noticed."  
  
And of course, she'd noticed, Belle mused. She'd not only noticed, but she could probably draw a fairly accurate composite sketch of the man. Meredith was right. He _was_ a god. "I just don't pay much attention to stuff like that."  
  
Jenifer, the exotic brunette, scoffed, then turned back to her mirror and applied a fine line of black eye liner. "Sure, you don't, honey. And I don't notice that Alex has a nice ass and the face of an angel. _None_ of us notice things like that." There was a murmur of sarcastic agreement across the room that had Belle grinning. When had these people become her friends? Had it happened suddenly or had they always been there and she'd just refused to notice?  
  
"All right, all right. Shawn Brady _is_ a god. He's head-over-heels in love with my little girl and she with him, and that single fact could have me falling in love with the man. He's roughly six-foot-two, has gorgeously dark eyes, his lips are amazingly luscious, and his hair just _begs_ for me to run my hands through it." She shrugged and decided that since she was among friends she wouldn't hold anything back. "The moment I saw him I wanted to rip his clothes off and ravage him."  
  
Her audience drilled her with questions then, and had her grinning foolishly and feeling young--truly young--for the first time in years.   
  
When she walked out into the club and immediately saw Shawn, all of that giddiness melted away into something else. Something entirely different. Something called desire.   
  
He was leaning against the bar, his dark eyes skimming over the crowd as though he were looking for someone. Perhaps, for her. One hand held a _Corona_ bottle and the other was thrust deep into the pocket of his dark-colored levis. He had pulled a simple long-sleeved T-shirt on and obviously hadn't bothered to comb his hair. He looked--casual, she decided, and all too sexy to be safe.  
  
He spotted her at almost the same time and was already headed in her direction. He was sure now why he was here. Aware of the exact force that kept pulling him back. And that force, he saw with some disapproval, was dressed in a black cat suit that left nothing to the imagination.   
  
When he reached her, he ignored her cheery hello, and merely grabbed her by the arm and dragged her in the direction of the stage.   
  
Belle desperately tried to ignore the looks and whispers that half the people in the club were giving them, as she was pulled across the restaurant, but when she saw Jenifer give a little wink, the straw finally broke the camel's back. She jerked her arm away from him. "Asshole." She hissed, immediately heading in the opposite direction.  
  
It took two steps for him to catch up, and this time he didn't bother finding a more private location for what he had in mind. Knowing that he was being rough--too rough--he dragged her against him and crushed his lips down on hers.  
  
The initial shock of the move left Belle staggered enough, but her reaction to the heat, the taste, and the feel of his lips had her steeped in desire almost instantly. The tray that she'd been planning to hit him with clattered to the ground as she molded her body to his, wrapped her arms around his neck. This time she heard no murmurs, saw no curious faces...just him. There was only him.  
  
When he pulled away, she had to hold onto him to keep from collapsing onto the dirty floor of the club. He held her there, against him, for what seemed like hours to Belle. Then she felt the soft whisper of his breath against her ear and slowly came back from the heaven she had ascended upon.  
  
"Christ." Was the only good thing Shawn could think to say as he rested his forehead on hers and watched her eyes flutter open. "I've been waiting to do that from the first moment I saw you."  
  
She scrunched up her nose and scowled at him. "How original." But he caught her chin in his hand and had her gaze landing back on his. "I have." He said firmly, before pressing his lips back to hers. "And don't forget it."  
  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 10**

  
  
Before she could respond to any of it, he was pulling her back towards the stage once again. She gave a passing thought to her job, then realized that her boss was Alex Turner for God's sake, and he would probably give her a raise for sneaking out of there and doing--well, whatever they were going to be doing. Because he was dragging her with such raw enthusiasm, her lips curved into a satisfied feminine smile. She was going to enjoy this. After all, it'd been quite a while since a man had looked at her quite like _that_.  
  
Hell, had any man ever looked at her like that? Like he could have eaten her alive? Maybe, he would still, she thought as they slipped behind the stage curtains. It was empty. Thank the good Lord that it was empty.  
  
He pressed her against the wall so fast that she didn't have time to react, then like they'd been before, his lips were on hers, hot and lethal. Flaming and violent. Hungry and torrid.  
  
Her mind was reeling, her body was numb to anything but his touch. Then, as quickly as the storm had descended, it subsided and she was left baffled and wanting more. "Umm, Shawn?"  
  
His hands wandered up the sides of the black cat suit, enjoying the feel of it. Silk and skin, were there ever two textures that did so much to a man's mind? A man's body? He took a steadying breath and tried to remember why he'd come to _The Pink Flamingo_ that night in the first place. He'd already seen both Belle and Madison once that day. Was he really that out of control that he had to see them again? Twice in one day? He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "What the hell are we going to do about this?"  
  
Do? Something had to be done? She let her initial reaction to the question slide and played with the dark curls that tickled his shirt collar. "Well--" She began, wetting her lips. "I was hoping, we could do some more of this--"  
  
Just as their lips were meeting again, Alex stormed onto stage. "Shit, Belle, where'd you--" His words would never escape the tightening of his throat, when he saw them together, locked around each other with hungry looks in their eyes. "Well--this is--shit." He said again, knowing very well that his face had turned beet red.   
  
Belle immediately jumped back out of Shawn's reach, mortified. "Al, oh God, I'm sorry. I--I--" She threw a desperate glance at Shawn, and he stepped forward, more-than-willing to play lawyer for a few minutes.  
  
He extended his hand to Alex and offered his best smile. "Shawn Brady. I'm guessing your Belle's employer."  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow. "If by employer you mean boss, then yeah, I'm Alex Turner. I own this dump."   
  
"Well, I'm terribly sorry for pulling Belle away from her work, but there was something I had to discuss with her that couldn't wait. I hope you won't blame her for taking a break."  
  
Eyeing Shawn suspiciously, Alex shook his head. "No, it's no big deal." He turned his blue eyes on Belle. "Five more minutes, Belle baby, it's wild out there. Nice meeting you, Brady."  
  
"Like wise, Turner." Shawn waited until Alex was gone, then snaked an arm around Belle's waist and pulled her back to him. "I don't think your boss likes me very much." He whispered, nipping her ear and sending her body back up to heaven again.  
  
"Yeah, Alex is a little protective of me. Kinda like a big brother."  
  
"Baby, the look he was giving me was not one of a protective big brother. It was the look of a jealous ex-lover. Have a history with Mr. Alex Turner?"   
  
God, if he would stop touching her, she might be able to think. His hands were skimming up her back and his lips were still working on her neck, up towards her jaw line. "With Al? Oh, no. It's not like that with Al. I mean sure, he wants to sleep with me, but I've sworn off guys like him. They're bad for me."  
  
"Hmm." Stopping his gentle exploration of her skin, he lifted his face and gazed down at her. "Do you have any idea what I want to do to you up on this stage? Any idea at all?"  
  
"I might have some idea."  
  
He kissed her again firmly on the lips, before pulling away and holding her at arm's length. "Well, keep that in mind, and we'll be sure to finish this later. 'Night, Belle." Satisfied that he and she _both_ would have a restless night, he nodded then disappeared back out into the club.  
  
She stared after him, baffled with dreams of what was to come dancing in her mind. 


	7. Chapters Eleven and Twelve

**Santa Baby~Chapter 11**

  
  
Respectively, she waited until she saw Shawn disappear out of the club, before she scrambled backstage in order to get the latest news on this very intriguing relationship between he and Belle.  
  
She'd watched the entire "kissing scene" unfold, and it was true wonder that she hadn't fainted right then and there. It was as if she'd been watching a movie. _The brooding hero comes into the tavern to escape the cold, and after one glance at the beautiful waitress he falls in love. With the magnetism of passion pulling them closer and closer together, the hero takes a chance and steals a kiss from the lady. Instantly, they are connected. Heart, body, and soul._  
  
Meredith had sighed, then allowed her jaw to drop when the couple took things a step further and disappeared together behind the stage curtains. She'd watched those curtains like a hawk, groaning when Al had gone back there, and then groaning again when he came out a few minutes later. It was just like an idiot male to interrupt something so beautiful.   
  
With a dramatic sigh, she set her tray aside and ducked behind the curtain. She found Belle dreamily staring into oblivion. Hell, who could blame the girl? Meredith had the feeling that she'd been properly swept off her feet for the first time in her life, by a man who actually might deserve her. "I'm so jealous of you." She replied, amused when Belle started.   
  
"Oh, Meredith. Sorry, I was just about to get back to work." Once she caught her breath and steadied her wildly beating heart, that is.  
  
"Don't you _dare_." Meredith hissed, holding up a hand as if to stop Belle from going anywhere. "You _must_ tell me what happened back here. I don't care if you think that I'm prying or being nosy, I just have to know."  
  
Belle grinned wickedly. "I'm not really one to kiss and tell, Meredith." At her friend's totally pitiful expression, she barreled on. "At least not now, not when we both have work to do. You know if Al comes back here and catches us gossiping we'll both be out on our ear."  
  
Grumbling a little Meredith crossed her arms. "All right, but just so you know I want Maddy to spend the night at my house sometime during the next few days. I'm not going to let you use her as an excuse for not getting into that man's pants."  
  
"Meredith!"  
  
"I'm not." Meredith repeated more firmly. "He's sexy, he's sweet, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you don't screw this one up. Now, come on, get your ass out there and get to work."  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  
  
Shawn was right, it'd been a very restless night. He'd awoken several times, sweaty, needy, and extremely unsatisfied. In fact, he was awake now. Wide awake. Giving up the battle of sleep, he dragged himself out of bed, pulled on his boxers, and padded, barefoot, out of the room.  
  
His home--or his _apartment_, rather--captured the essence of his fast-paced, lawyer lifestyle. Bold colors and artwork lined the high walls. Large, eye-catching rugs were scattered on the floor in every room, concealing the nearly perfect wood-stained floors. Masculine lines and high ceilings made the space of the apartment seem boundless. It was a one-bedroom loft that rented for eleven hundred dollars a month and were located in one of the most prominent buildings in Atlanta. He could still remember applying for it, just after his first major case. He could still feel the excitement that came with owning your first home.  
  
Yawning, he stumbled into the living room and grabbed up a pair of boxing gloves that were laying on his couch. He strapped them on, then went to work on plummeting and properly beating-to-death the punching bag that hung on one side of the room. An advocate of good health and exercise, this routine was fairly normal for him. When he didn't release his pent up fury with his fists, he lifted weights or jogged. A result of this tireless routine was his lean, well-toned body. Using quick, successive punches and a couple of good, hard kicks, he succeeded in releasing any aggression or sexual tension that had been present when he woke up. And just as he was getting into his fight, the phone rang, shattering any thoughts of a nice, quiet, uninterrupted workout.  
  
Cursing, he threw one of his gloves to the floor and used his bare hand to grab the cordless phone that was lying nearby. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" He snapped into the phone, skipping any kind of warm, sunny greeting.  
  
"'Morning to you, too, Shawn." Blake Morrow was used to his best friend's biting morning attitude and met it with a cheerfulness that he knew would drive Shawn crazy. "Hadn't heard from you in a couple of days. You doing okay?"  
  
"Fuck the small talk, Morrow, why the hell are you calling at--" He glanced over at the wall clock, scowled. "--six thirty in the morning?"  
  
Blake sighed and decided that it was best to go ahead and spill the news. "Listen, Brady, we kinda have a bit of a problem. Jules and I, I mean. With the wedding."  
  
At the mention of the lovely redhead's name, all of Shawn's annoyance flitted away. Stripping away the other glove, he strode into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "What kind of a problem? And how the hell did it come about this early in the morning?"  
  
Blake, who was leaning against the doorjamb that led into his fiancee's kitchen, took a quick look around the room and behind him, to make sure Jules was out of earshot. He wasn't about to take a chance on her overhearing his conversation with Shawn. "Christ, Shawn, she wakes up almost every night with something crazy on her mind. The night before last it was something about the caterer, then the flowers. And this morning, she just suddenly shot up in bed and began babbling about the reception and how she'd forgotten to rent a place for it to be held."  
  
With something caught between a groan and a sigh, Shawn plopped down into one of the chairs that were carelessly scattered around his tiny kitchen table. "I don't believe you. Hell, Blake, the reception is one of the most important parts of the entire event. There's no way that she forgot to book a location. Call me back when you want to tell the truth."  
  
"Dammit, it is the truth, Shawn. The girl's had way too much on her mind lately, she's scattered from here to L.A., and I have to do everything I can to help."  
  
"And what does this have to do with me?"  
  
Blake ran a hand over his hair, ruffling it even worse than it'd already been. "I'm so glad you're such an advocate of the duties of the best man. Come on, be a pal, and think about it. Who in our little circle of friends has the huge house situated so conveniently in Kennesaw? A house that's Civil War era and looks like it walked right off the set of _Gone With The Wind_?"  
  
"Shit." And it was true. The Brady home place was one of the most spectacular and widely praised homes around Atlanta. With its wide circular columns lining the front, the whitewashed walls, and the oak-lined drive, Asthor, meaning "treasure" in Gaelic tongue, did conjure up images of the fiery Scarlett O'Hara and the slick, charming Rhett Butler. But Asthor had been empty for almost five years, and Shawn wasn't planning on changing that fact anytime soon. "Blake--"  
  
"It's been five years, Shawn, when are you going to stop blaming yourself for what happened to your parents and start living again?"  
  
At the mention of his parents, Shawn felt the familiar wave of nausea sweep over him. Of course, his friend was right. It'd been nearly five years since his parents' death, and he was still living a lie. Though, he told himself that he'd learned to accept their deaths, in reality, he hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of acceptance, or forgiveness.   
  
"Jules is really counting on it, buddy. Come on, your parents would want Asthor filled with laughter and happiness again. _Please_ Shawn--for me and for Jules. Do this."  
  
He had a severe weakness when it came to turning down friends, and despite the burning in his chest, he forced the response that Blake wanted to hear so badly. "Sure. Whatever you guys want." And so the demons of Shawn Brady's past descended.  
  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 12**  
  
**_6 days until Christmas: Belle Black's Apartment_**

  
  
Cradling the telephone between her ear and her shoulder, Belle tried her best to go about her business despite the obnoxious fussing on the other end of the phone. She was trying to be patient with Alex, but he was beginning to cross the line with his scolding and accusations. She'd expected him to be jealous when he caught her and Shawn backstage wrapped around each other, but she'd never expected him to take that jealousy quite so far.  
  
"You don't even know the guy, Belle. I mean, what does he do for a living? Where's he from? Hell, do you know a single thing about his personal life? The bastard could be a serial rapist for all we know!" The logic was simple to Alex. The guy was a complete stranger--they'd known each other for a week--and fraternizing with him so quickly was dangerous. After all, wasn't it Elvis--the _King_--who said that that "_fools_ rush in"? Who in their right mind would question the King? With a sigh, he awaited Belle's response. Already knowing what it would be.  
  
"Listen, Alex, I'm not going to tell you to butt out of my life, 'cause, frankly, that phrase is overrated, but I will tell you this. You have no business accusing a man you don't even know of being a rapist--and you have no business telling me who I can and cannot date." Licking an extra bit of sugar cookie dough off her fingers, she stepped back to admire her work. Twenty-four globs of creamy dough were spread out on the cookie sheet in front of her. Because she couldn't afford gifts at the moment, she was trying to make the best of her situation and give Maddy the best possible Christmas she could.  
  
"That's my fuckin' point, Belle. You don't know this jackass! Can't you see how dangerous this is?"  
  
Yes, she could. To a certain extent at least. Hell, in her business she was constantly aware of sex-crazed criminals and men who were out for a good lay; but Shawn just didn't fit the description of one of these characters. And somehow, she knew that she could trust him. "I'm really sorry that this has gotten you worried; but look at it this way. I haven't been anywhere alone with the guy, I haven't slept with him." Yet. "And I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks. I can take care of myself, Alex. You know that."  
  
He ran a weary hand through his golden hair and knew that he'd been backed into a corner and defeated. "Yeah, I know. I just worry about you, baby. You're one of my favorite people, you know that. I don't want to see you get hurt. In any sense."  
  
"I love you, Al. And this big brother routine is really very cute, but I'm not going to get hurt. Not again." She slipped the cookie tray in her tired, worn out oven and smiled when her daughter came into the room. "Okay, I've gotta go, sweetie. Thanks for calling."  
  
"Yeah. Okay. Bye, Belle."  
  
"Wait. Al? Thanks for caring, too. It's really nice to know that you do. Bye." She hung up the phone just in time to miss Alex's final and very suggestive comment. Despite his deep concern for Belle, he was still the same Al and still looking for something more than friendship from his "good friend" Belle.   
  
Scowling, he hung up the phone and whirled away from the bar to run smack into Meredith Danner. "Jesus Christ!" His hands shot out to grip her shoulders and steady them both before they could fall. "Meredith, what the hell? You took a good five years off my life with that little stunt."  
  
"Sorry." Meredith fluttered her eyelashes innocently then studied Alex's worried face. "Somethin' buggin' you, Turner?"  
  
Suddenly uncomfortable, Alex released his grip and turned his back on her. "No." He snapped out, then heard her sigh and corrected himself. "Yes, something is wrong, actually."  
  
"Hmm. Would have never guessed. Wanna talk about it?"  
  
"Not really, but you're not going to give up until I do, so--" He spun back around to face her. "It's about Belle. And that--that--"  
  
She raised an eyebrow and offered, "guy?"  
  
"Yeah, that _guy_." He bit out the words bitterly. "You know anything about him? Where he's from? What he does for a living? Anything? Anything at all!?"  
  
"Not really. I know he's cute and sexy and one helluva kisser according to Belle. Why? Are you jealous of him or something, Alex?"  
  
His eyes narrowed as he gripped her shoulders once again. "No! I'm not fuckin' jealous of the bastard. I'm worried about Belle. Do you really believe that all I think about is sex?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, you're wrong. Jesus, Meredith, when the hell are we going to be able to put the past behind us and concentrate on the future? I screwed up, okay? I screwed a good thing up, and I admit it. But Christ, I loved you. I still love you. Hell, you're the only woman I've ever said those words to. The only woman I ever will say those words to."  
  
The rattling of the front door of the club had them both pulling apart and staring blankly across the room. Alex ran a shaky hand through his hair and reluctantly went to answer it. "Shit." Was the only thing he could think to say when he saw Shawn Brady standing on the other side.   
  
"Nice to see you, too, Turner. Belle around?"   
  
Before Alex could snarl, Meredith was pushing him out of the way. "Shawn! How nice to see you again." She offered her hand and fluttered her lashes. "Looking for Belle?"  
  
"Hi. Yeah. She around?"  
  
"Nope, Alex gave her the day off from cleaning duties. She's at home. Want the address?"   
  
"That would be great." He watched as she scrambled off to scribble the address onto a piece of paper, then his eyes switched to Alex who was at a momentary lost for words. "Don't worry, Turner, I'm not a serial killer or a rapist. Just a lawyer."  
  
"Even worse." Alex bit out, glaring at him. Before any blood could be shed, Meredith returned and triumphantly offered the paper, but when he tried to grab it she snatched it out of his reach. "You can have it. On one condition."  
  
Shawn raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh yeah, what's that?"  
  
"Don't hurt her. If you hurt her, I will personally make sure that you can never hurt her again." When her eyes wandered suggestively to the front of his pants, he got the idea.  
  
"Sure. No, wouldn't dream of hurting her. Don't worry." He took the address and stuffed it into his pocket, relieved that he could leave them fully in tact. "Thanks, guys. Have a nice day."  
  
They watched him get into the BMW and spin away, then Alex turned his gaze down to Meredith. "You're a goddess." He growled, snatching her by the waist and dragging her inside to finish what they'd started before Shawn arrived. 


	8. Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen

**Santa Baby~Chapter 13**

  
  
Nerves were something completely unfamiliar to a man such as he. All of his life he'd been risky, daring, afraid of nothing; but now, now that he was at the door of the woman who had so quickly twisted his insides and left him confused and wanting more, he was terrified.  
  
So terrified that he barely noticed his surroundings, which were of the lower-scale variety. Hell, the damn building he was standing in was falling apart, which figured into the reason its apartments rented so cheap. The hallway was dark and musty and alone. The door, that he was contemplating knocking on, was beat up around its edges, a thin coat of purple paint thrown on to camouflage its faults. It seemed that Shawn Brady had crossed over to the wrong side of town, and despite his own description of himself as being a snob, he hadn't even distinguished it.  
  
Blowing out a shaky breath, he lifted his hand to the door and knocked lightly on it.   
  
"Coming!" Came the reply to his knock, and the nerves he was experiencing became more acute at the sound of her voice. When she pulled open the door, wearing a huge terricloth robe, and studying him with curiosity, he wished he'd never come. "Well, hello there." She said brightly, running a fussy hand through her dripping hair.  
  
"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you out of the--the--"  
  
"The shower?" She provided, her full lips turning up in a grin. "You didn't, I was just about to dry my hair actually. Luckily, I was already out of the shower when you knocked." She tried not to think about what his impression of her home must have been.  
  
"That's good. Good." He chuckled lightly, then thrust his hands in his pockets, and glanced over her shoulder into the apartment. "Wh--where is--ah--"  
  
"Maddy? She's in her room. Would you like to come in?"  
  
"Umm--well, I hate to interrupt anything, I was just--I was--" My God, he needed to pull himself together. He did this kind of a thing for a living. It was his damn job to be charming and convincing and persuasive and friggin' smooth. "Actually, you know, I would like to come in. That okay?"  
  
No! She wanted to scream. No, it wasn't okay for him to come in. In fact, this would probably be the end of the relationship before it even started. He'd take one look at her cracker box apartment, laugh in her face, and leave. Wasn't that the way things usually went with the men that took interest in her at the club? Wouldn't they always ditch her the second they learned she was poor and hopeless? Yet, she had to keep in mind what Shawn had told her the other night just before he kissed her. He wasn't like other men. He was going to be different. This was going to be different.  
  
So, when she stepped out of the doorway and let him in, instead of scanning the room with critical eyes, he kept those eyes firmly planted on hers. "I've missed you." He whispered, lifting a hand to caress her cheek.  
  
The move was so tender, so intimate that she was sure that her heart would melt away right then and there. Her lashes fluttered down to conceal the feelings which she knew were very apparent in her eyes. "Thank you." Was the only thing she could think to say.  
  
And because he was also at a lost for words, he framed her face with his hands, kissed her lightly, and decided that conversation was overrated anyway.   
  
The kiss was light and brief this time, for only seconds after it began, they heard Maddy and broke apart as quick as lightning. However, Madison Renee Black was no idiot and could very well read the look in her mother's eyes, when she came into the room. That look could very well be the beginning stages of Operation: Dad."Shawn Douglas Brady!" Her squeal was childish and light-hearted, masking any of the very grown-up thoughts that were already flowing through her clever little mind.  
  
"Hey, Maddy." Shawn replied, scooping the girl up into his arms with an easiness that both mother and daughter had come to admire. "How's my girl today?"  
  
"Great! Mommy baked Christmas cookies. Want one?"  
  
"Good idea, baby, take Shawn into the kitchen for a cookie, while I go dry my hair and dress. I'll only be a minute."   
  
"Sure, sounds great." He set Maddy back to her feet and slanted a glance at Belle's retreating form, before allowing himself to be taken into the kitchenette. He did notice the apartment now, especially since the woman in it was no longer directly in his line of view and so damn distracting. The kitchen was tiny but tidy. Neat and limited. Empty and yet so full of love and so welcoming.   
  
He was ordered to take a seat at the small round table in the corner of the room, while Madison played hostess and brought him one of the sugar cookies and a tall glass of milk. She then took the seat next to him, folded her hands in her lap and watched him eat. "You've kissed my Mommy, haven't you?"  
  
The question came so abruptly, so out-of-nowhere that Shawn had to take a long sip of milk to clear his throat and give himself the chance to think of an answer. "Umm--"  
  
"Don't worry, I don't mind or anything. I'm not one of those kids who is overly protective of their parents. I mean, sure, I don't want you to hurt my Mommy, but--" She caught him completely off guard again when she looked up at him with those terribly adult eyes. "--I don't think you will hurt her. Not on purpose anyway. So, how's the cookie?"  
  
He was about to tackle that question, when Belle--thank God--appeared in the doorway. She'd thrown on a pair of wrinkled levis and a plain T-shirt, and Shawn decided that she looked just as sexy in that as she had in the black cat suit from the club. "Sorry 'bout that. Enjoying your cookie?"  
  
It seemed that his gift with words would go unneeded today, for it was Maddy this time who interrupted whatever answer he might have given. "Mommy, can I stay over at Aunt Meredith's house tonight?"  
  
"Well, I--"  
  
"Thanks!" She jumped up from the table and threw her arms around her mother, then placed a kiss on Shawn's cheek. "I'm gonna go play in my room for a little while. It's nice to see you again, Shawn." She gave neither of them the chance to respond and was out of the room like a shot.  
  
Shawn blinked after her, then turned his gaze up to Belle. "Well."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Smiling and deciding to take advantage of being left alone with her, he got up and pulled her into his arms. "Why don't we go out tonight? Give your daughter a reason for all the trouble she just went to to get us alone?"  
  
Belle giggled, then pressed her lips to his cheek, which to her delight had the beginning stubble of a beard on it. This man was sexy, charming, and terribly normal. "I've got to work tonight."  
  
"That's fine. We'll just stay at the club after your shift, have our date there."  
  
"Sounds like you'd already planned to come to the club tonight."  
  
"Hell yes. You see," He lifted her hand, kissed it, then pressed it against his rough cheek. "I like watching you work. So, tonight?"  
  
"Yeah--" She took a deep, steadying breath and met his eyes. "--tonight."  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 14**

  
  
"How do I look?" Belle Black wheeled around and presented herself dramatically to the women around her. Tonight, she was the main attraction. The center of attention. The star of the show. Alex had given her the lead dancing spot in his choreographed Christmas extravaganza, and she was ecstatic about it. Tonight, _she_ would stand out from the other girls and be in the spotlight. Tonight, she would be a star.  
  
And it really was no wonder that Shawn would be coming to watch her _tonight_--one of the most nervous nights of her life--after all, things couldn't get much worse, and his presence there would only serve to make her more nervous. And when she was nervous, her talent and gracefulness would fly out the window, in their place would be a clumsy, big-footed buffoon. So, everything was just great. So friggin' great. And tonight, she could lose everything.  
  
She smoothed her hands down the light blue silk of her costume and looked from woman to woman, anxious to hear some opinions about her appearance. After all, if she had to make a fool of herself tonight, at least she could be beautiful while doing it.  
  
It was Jenifer who stepped forward and spoke first. With her sparkling chocolate-colored eyes, she swept a criticizing glance over Belle and nodded. "Eh, you look all right, I guess."  
  
"All right?" Belle literally felt her heart sink.  
  
"Ah, honey, I'm just kiddin'. You look incredible. This guy is going to be tripping over his own tongue." The rest of the girls were quick to add their agreement, and Belle's nerves settled a little, that is until Meredith rushed into the dressing room--late as usual.  
  
"Belle! Belle, oh my God, hon. I have news for you! You'll never believe it." Still wearing a pair of sweat pants and a baggy T-shirt, Meredith shoved through the crowd and hurriedly crouched down beside Belle's chair. "Guess what?"  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Jenifer butted in. "What?"  
  
"He's a lawyer. He's a fuckin' lawyer, Belle, can you believe it? I mean, shit! We already knew the stud was rich, but stinkin', filthy rich? Well, _damn_!" She threw her arms around Belle who had suddenly become quiet and still despite the celebrating going on around her.  
  
A lawyer? Christ, what was she supposed to make of _that_ little tidbit of information? "A lawyer?" She whispered, looking up at Meredith with confused eyes.  
  
Meredith didn't notice the confusion, or if she did, she simply chose to ignore it. "Yes! Oh, Belle, I'm so happy for you!"  
  
Before Belle could respond or even comprehend the news, Alex was barging into the dressing room, taking the sight of half-naked women in stride. "Shit, ladies, what are you doing to me? Come on, we have five minutes 'till show time. Stop your gabbin' and get out here!" His blue eyes cut purposely over to where Meredith stood. "Slacker." He mouthed, winking, then disappeared back through the doorway.  
  
Belle was relieved to have a distraction. And the look that Meredith and Alex had shared definitely counted as one. She grinned knowingly at her friend, who still had stars in her eyes. "Anything you want to tell me, buddy?"  
  
Meredith simply shrugged, a goofy grin spreading across her lips. "Yeah, Alex and I had sex this afternoon." At Belle's shocked expression, she giggled. "On the bar." She skipped off to her own dressing table, still smiling.  
  
"On the bar?" Belle managed to choke out, suddenly appalled at the mental images that had, without warning, popped into her mind. "Oh, God." With a weary sigh, she gave her reflection one last check, pushed thoughts of Al and Meredith--and Shawn--out of her mind and went out to meet her audience.  
  
She took her place behind the curtain and began the breathing exercises that Jenifer had taught her to keep calm before the shows. In--and out. And in--and out. She was going to be okay. It was going to be just fine. Hell, Shawn was probably not even out there yet. Yeah, that was it, she was worrying over nothing. Shawn wasn't even there.  
  
Listening to the rhythmic sound of Alex's voice as he announced the show, she actually managed to calm herself down a little. And Jenifer's breathing exercises were kinda working; but just as the calm was beginning to settle in, the storm was waiting and ready to show its ass.  
  
The first face that greeted her as the curtain's opened was Shawn's. He was leaning against the bar--in what she now thought of as his normal location. The sexy smirk that was on his face completely vanished when he caught sight of her as well. To put it mildly, she looked exquisite. The cat suit or the Mrs. Claus suit had not done the girl justice, but this costume did. This costume captured every curve of her body, every hint of blue in her eyes, every golden fleck of skin. And it was also the most revealing little outfit he'd ever seen.  
  
Yes, when he saw her the smirk fell off of his lips, the smile disappeared from his eyes, and they were immediately replaced with an anger--so acute, so real--that it had all of Belle's nerves rushing back times ten.  
  
The costume was baby blue, he noted. The exact color of her eyes. Hell, that Turner asshole had probably picked it out especially for her, especially considering the fact that it left so little to the male imagination. Shawn Brady was no fool. He'd seen the look that asshole had given Belle the other night. He'd seen the jealousy flash through those startlingly blue eyes. And now he knew what that jealousy felt like, for he was feeling it too.  
  
The men around him broke off into catcalls and whistles almost instantly, while Shawn's gaze remained on hers, growing darker and more intense by the second.   
  
On stage, Belle was sweating under that heated gaze and trying desperately to focus on her performance; however, as she continued to belt out the chorus of "Let It Snow!", she knew that her heart wasn't in it, and that fact was becoming reflective in her performance. So, with the slightest bit of hesitation, she stopped singing, stopped dancing, sent an apologetic nod to her crude audience and fled from the stage. It wasn't the coward in her that sent her running, it was the small light of hope that had suddenly been extinguished.   
  
Why had she imagined he could be different? Why had she let herself believe that this time it could be real? But it wasn't different with Shawn, and it hadn't been real, because she'd not only felt the heat from his eyes on that stage, but she'd understood it. And she'd seen it in other's eyes before.  
  
Jealousy and a lack-of-respect were difficult things to overcome. 


	9. Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen

**Santa Baby~Chapter 15**

  
  
Jealousy was stirring his blood. Blind rage was pumping through his veins. He watched her bright eyes fill. He watched as she fled from the stage. Yet, nothing--_nothing_--could extinguish the anger as it flooded over him in thick, hot waves. Those around him were unaware of his emotions, thus all were in a very dangerous position.  
  
Insults were hurled at the stage, at the remaining girls who were doing their best to make up for the star's disappearance. And they were hurled at Belle who wasn't even there to defend herself.  
  
"Hey! Where'd the lead _whore_ go?!"  
  
"Where's that pretty, little blonde slut!?"  
  
"Honey! Come on back out here and shake that tight, little ass for us!!!" That was the last thing any of the assholes said. Now their drunken attention was focused on the tall, furious man who had a short, balding man pulled up in his face by his fancy suit lapels.   
  
Shawn Brady's eyes were clouded with disdain for the man and what he'd yelled out to the absent Belle. "Asshole, if you ever so much as look at that girl again, I'll personally kick your fuckin' sorry ass." That said, he shoved the man out of his way and continued towards the stage. Temper had always had a short fuse for Shawn. It was one of his main faults and a scary one at that. He couldn't control it. And when it snapped, he was dangerous.  
  
He stormed up the side steps of the stage and disappeared behind the curtains, his eyes immediately sweeping over the girls who still hadn't gone on stage.  
  
An exotic brunette with criticizing eyes scowled at him. "Sorry, baby, we don't do backstage shows. You'll have to watch out there with the rest of the drunken fools." She stalked over, taking in every inch of him with an appreciative glance. "Though I wouldn't mind having you back here with us." She ran her hand down his arm and almost purred when she felt his taut muscles. "What's got you so tense, baby?"  
  
"Where the hell did Belle go?"  
  
"Shit, all the cute ones are either gay or after Belle. I take it you're the lawyer hunk?" At his lack of response, she shrugged and gestured in the direction of a steep, dark staircase. "Those stairs lead up to a little apartment. She flew up their about three minutes ago cussing about some tight-assed bastard. I'd watch myself, honey. She may seem harmless, but I'm willing to bet there's a pouncing lion under that kitten's exterior."  
  
"Thanks." He didn't give her a chance to respond and was up the stairs in a flash, banging on the door at the top. "Belle! Open the damn door. We need to talk."  
  
Inside, Belle paced in front of the doorway, unsure of what move to make next. She'd seen this type of behavior before. Hell, she'd experienced it firsthand, and it always left her in a predicament. She couldn't just walk away from her career, as sad as it was. Nor could she do anything to soothe the strong emotions she knew Shawn must be feeling. So, what the hell _could_ she do?   
  
Shawn's pounding on the door calmed enough that she felt safe enough to open it. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it open and watched him explode into the room, practically fuming with raw anger. "What the hell were you thinking?" He demanded, shrugging out of his overcoat and throwing it around her shoulders. "Christ, Belle, did you see how those assholes were looking at you?"  
  
Reluctantly, she met his eyes, which--to her surprise--were filled with anger, yes, but had traces of concern in them. "This is my job, Shawn."  
  
"Fuck that! You didn't hear what they were yelling at you. You didn't hear the things they said."  
  
"Of course I did. I heard the insults, the suggestive comments. I heard them as well as I saw the jealousy fill your eyes. There's all kind of passion and emotions flowing through this damn club, that doesn't mean that I'm going to pay attention to any of it."  
  
He grabbed her shoulders now, forced her to look at him. "You paid attention to the jealousy though. That's the reason you ran off the stage."  
  
"Instinct." She smirked and started to turn away only to have him tighten his hold.   
  
"Shit."  
  
"Wonderful choice of words. It is all a load of shit, isn't it? Let me go, Shawn, I don't need some egotistical asshole who feels threatened by a bunch of nameless drunks. So, why don't you go ahead and get out of my life now, before we get into this too deep?"  
  
He released her then and sighed. "You damn well know I can't just walk out. I'm already in too deep."  
  
"So, what do you want to do? Drag me away by my hair and tell everyone that I _belong_ to you? That I'm not allowed to have my own fuckin' life? I'm afraid that's not how that works. At least not with me, though I'm sure you could find at least ten of my coworkers who'd be more than willing to have you drag them away."  
  
"You make it sound like I'm in the wrong here, Belle. When you came out onto that stage tonight, you were half-naked. There were a bunch of assholes calling you things that I'd rather never hear anyone called, much less someone I--I--shit--much less someone I care about." He turned to face her then, and though he knew better that to touch her with his emotions running so high, he traced a finger along her jaw line. "I care about you, Belle."  
  
He couldn't have said anything that would've surprised her--or thrown her off guard--more than that. Her mind screamed at her to tell him to get out, to throw everything they could have away--but that incessant whisper in her heart that was telling her to go for it was the part of her that won out. "So, what are we going to do?"  
  
All the temper and jealousy that he'd felt before had melted away as he enveloped her in his arms, buried his face in her wild mane of hair. "I don't know. I just don't know."  
  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 16**

  
The child's eyes saw what she'd spent her entire life hoping for. Her mother and a potential father linked in a warm, caring embrace. Excitement bubbled up in her young heart as she watched the two begin to dance in the empty apartment. Whispering things that even the youngest child could understand. There was no music, other than that that Maddy heard being played in her heart. There was no rhythm to the dance either, other than that age-old ritual of bodies moving together without limitations.  
  
The woman that was buried deep in Madison's heart saw something entirely different than the child. She saw passion and heat and anger. It danced around the room much like the two adults were dancing, but instead of being smooth and soothing it was jerky and unsettling. She was old enough to recognize anger when she saw it, and though that anger was being smoothed over with something calm and serene, it still left an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Wanting to rid of that feeling and be reassured, she cleared her throat and stepped through the open door of the apartment. "Mommy?" She asked in a voice that was shaky and unsure.  
  
Belle automatically moved away from Shawn and blinked over at her wide-eyed daughter. "Madison, what--I thought you were going to stay at Meredith's apartment tonight." Oh God, how much of that argument had her little girl actually heard? She took another calculated step away from Shawn and smoothed her hair in a nervous gesture. "What are you still doing here?"  
  
The wide, innocent eyes filled with unexpected tears. Not because she'd heard the fight between her mother and Shawn, but because now, as she looked at Belle, she could feel nothing but pain and confusion radiating from the only stable adult in her life. "I--I was just coming up to get my bag and--and--" Her eyes wandered over to where the raggedy teddy bear lay face up on her cot. "--and to get Da."  
  
"Of course, baby, go ahead. Shawn and I were just--just--" Belle sent a desperate glance to Shawn which made him automatically step forward and offer an explanation of his own.  
  
"Did you hear us fighting, Madison Renee?" He asked in a voice so soft, so calm that Belle was almost certain he had dealt with children before. And fights.   
  
Maddy nodded, her eyes averting to her shoes. "Then you danced."   
  
"Yes, we did." Acting on instinct and emotion rather than sensibility, he took another step towards the little girl, then crouched down in front of her. "I was just about to apologize to your mom for the fight. Do you think that's a good idea?"  
  
The girl's bottom lip quivered, but the tears had yet to spill over. "You yelled at her."   
"I did, grownups do silly stuff like that sometimes, but just because they're yelling doesn't mean that they hate each other or are even angry at each other for that matter. Most of the time they're just angry at the circumstances."  
  
"You don't hate her?"  
  
He automatically glanced up at Belle, who was fighting back tears of her own, and smiled warmly. "No, I don't think I could hate your mom if I tried. She's a great lady."  
  
"Yeah." Madison readily agreed. "Do you want me to leave you alone now, so that you can apologize and dance some more?"  
  
Biting back a grin, he pulled the girl into his arms and hugged her fiercely. "I can't help falling in love with you, Madison. You're just so irresistible. You can leave if you like, but to tell you the truth, I enjoy your company around here and wouldn't mind too bad if you decided to stay."  
  
Her eyes traveled up and landed on her mother's. The woman deep inside her heart reemerged and understood. "No, I think I still want to stay with Aunt Meredith." She kissed Shawn's cheek, then hugged her mommy. "'Night, Mommy. I love you."  
  
"I love you, too, baby." Belle watched and waited until the door was closed firmly behind Madison, before she walked back over to Shawn and gave him a hard kiss on the mouth. "That's for being so good with her." She whispered, pulling back long enough to see the look of stunned pleasure on his face. "And this--" She traced his lips with her finger, before replacing it with her own lips. "--is for being so good with me."  
  
"Belle--"  
  
"Shh. I know you're sorry, and I know you won't be able to ignore what I do for a living. I respect that, and I expect you to respect me. I'm a dancer, Shawn. A not-so-innocent dancer. It may not be the most fulfilling job in the world, but it pays well. Or well enough. I need you to see that that's all it is--a job. Something that keeps food on the table."  
  
"I do see that, and I respect you, but--" He ran a hand over her hair, tried to find the right words. The words that would explain what he was feeling, though he still wasn't quite sure himself what that was. "--I can't just ignore it. That's not how that works."  
  
She closed her eyes, tried to imagine a world without complications and heartache. Couldn't. "For now. Can you ignore it for now? We've not even known each other a week and we're already complicating things. Can't we keep them simple for now?"  
  
Already feeling the consequences swell up, Shawn nodded. "Yeah. For now." 


	10. Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen

**Santa Baby~Chapter 17**  
  
**_Five Days Until Christmas: Asthor Estate; Kennesaw, Georgia _**

  
  
As proud and elegant as its former owners, Asthor stood out brilliantly against the sunlight and was an instant hit with the young lovers who were looking to make it their reception location. Though it wasn't as grand as it once had been, Shawn hadn't allowed it to deteriorate with its years of disuse. Instead, he'd used some of his hard-earned money to hire a caretaker to look after the physical aspects of owning a thousand-acre plantation. That way Shawn never had to go down to visit it. Never had to see it. Because even today, almost five years after his parents' accident, he became physically sick at the sight of it.  
  
Blake and Jules were too busy being in love--with the house and each other--to notice their friend's discomfort. "Ohh..." Julianne let out a purely feminine sigh and threw her arms around Blake. "It's beautiful. It's perfect. Oh, I love you!"  
  
Trying desperately to rid of his sickness, Shawn focused his attention on his friends. "Hey, it's not his house." He pouted, smiling when Jules looked over at him. "Wanna share some of that gratitude?"   
  
The redhead giggled and averted her attention to Shawn. "I love you, too, ya big sweetie." She placed a smacking kiss on his cheek, then wiped away the remnants of lipstick in a gesture that reminded Shawn all-too-much of his mother. "In fact, if I had met you first, Blake would've been the best man, and you would've been the groom."  
  
Shawn furrowed his brow, chewing on that possibility for a few moments. Finally, he let out a whoop and scooped the petite girl into his arms. "I knew it! I knew it was me you loved. What'd'ya say you marry me now instead of this jerk?"  
  
Jules laughed and looked over at her fiancee, raising an eyebrow. Blake smiled slowly, then slipped his hands into his pockets."I wouldn't turn a proposal from Shawn Brady down so quickly, Julianne. It's not everyday that Mr. Fear-of-Commitment-Brady proposes."  
  
This was about as good as it got for Jules. She, her future husband, and his best friend laughing and joking as if they'd been friends forever. Before wiggling her way out of Shawn's arms, she kissed him hard on the lips. "I'm flattered, really I am, but I'm kind of already attached to the jerk." Her smile softened then as she touched a hand to his unshaven face. "Someday a special girl is going to come along and take your breath--as well as that fear of commitment--away. All I ask is that you invite us to the wedding."  
  
Shawn almost squirmed at the words commitment and wedding being used in the same breath. His own wedding was, in fact, his worst nightmare. "You betcha. I love you, Jules."  
  
"Me too, Shawn." She slipped an arm around Blake's waist and went back to her evaluation of the house. "It's perfect." She said decisively. "Just perfect."  
  
Perfect wasn't the exact word Shawn would've used to describe his old home place. In fact, in his mind, it was as far from perfect as it could get. Filled with ghosts and demons and memories of the past and its mistakes, Asthor was more like a curse to him. He sighed as he got down to business and unlocked its large, unwelcoming front door.   
  
The draft of cold air that cut through him when he jerked open that door was not only terrifying but hollow. Terribly hollow. He let Blake and Jules enter first, watched in amazement as the two gushed over the extravagant foyer of the house. "My God, it's like something out of a fairy tale." Jules whispered breathlessly. She turned to Shawn. "You lived here as a child?"  
  
Shawn could only manage a nod, then continued towards the sunroom--where he'd imagined the reception being set up. "There's a lot of work to be done, I imagine; but the caretaker has left it in relatively good shape. I'm sure your mother can handle decorations and whatnot."  
  
"Yes." But she wasn't paying attention, her eyes and mind were capturing every tiny detail of the mansion. The high ceilings with their crown molding. The gleaming hardwood floors that creaked under their feet as they made their way through the house. The brilliant sunlight that streamed in through the large windows at almost every turn. Yet, the one the thing she didn't see was a home. No pictures lining the walls. No trinkets and clutter sitting around on the empty desks and tables. She reminded herself that no one had lived in the house for quite some time, and any place would lose its heart without occupants. Pushing back the loneliness that seemed to vibrate off of Asthor's walls, she smiled up at Shawn who was somber and pale. "Thank you. It's absolutely perfect."  
  
Relieved that the viewing was almost over, Shawn's tense shoulders relaxed. "Good. Glad I could help."  
  
Blake threw an arm around his friend's shoulders and tried to nudge a chuckle out of him. "So, how are things with the stripper?" He immediately felt Shawn tense again under his touch and instinctively stepped back.  
  
"She's not a stripper." Shawn said flatly.  
  
"No, of course not. It was a joke, buddy. Just a joke." He chuckled nervously, then ran a hand through his hair. "I guess things are either really good or really bad judging from that reaction."  
  
"Maybe you should just mind your own damn business, Blake. Not everything can be as perfect as it seems to be for you." Shawn paused, watched Julianne move away, then leaned in closer to Blake. "And if you _ever_ call her a stripper again, I'll personally beat the shit out of you."  
  
Blake's smile came quick and naturally. The two had been friends since childhood, and it was an ongoing joke that Blake had won every fight they'd ever engaged in. And there had been plenty. Mostly boyhood fights over silly things like girls and baseball. "Sure you will, buddy. Sure you will." He punched Shawn's shoulder companionably, then left to catch up with his fiancee.  
  
Shawn stayed back, letting the past float around him in the thick air of the mansion. The sickness was gone, though there were still traces of nervousness jumping through his system. He wondered if he'd finally learned to deal with the past or if he'd finally had a reason to deal with the future instead. He thought of the two new women in his life, with their dancing blue eyes and their warm giggles, and he voted for the latter.  
  
  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 18**

  
  
"What about Shawn?" Meredith had actually showed up to work early for the first time in--well, for the first time _ever_, just so she could get the goods on Belle's liaisons with Shawn from the night before. Madison had certainly shared some sketchy information about her mother and Shawn dancing, but Meredith wanted all the gory details from the mother herself.  
  
"What _about_ Shawn?" Belle responded, applying a thin layer of mascara to her lashes. The costume for tonight was much more low-key than the one from the night before. At least if Shawn showed up tonight, he wouldn't disapprove of her attire.  
  
"Don't play coy, Belle, it doesn't look good on you. Come on, Maddy told me about walking in on you guys fighting or dancing or whatever the hell you were doing. I tell you a six year old is _awful_ at gossip, she kept on getting her words mixed up, her tongue tied together. Damn! I was about ready to choke it out of her." She received Belle's warning glare and smiled innocently. "Figuratively, darling, figuratively."  
  
"Sure. Listen, to make a long story short, and since you aren't going to give up until I give you _something_, Shawn kind of--" She paused to fill in her lined lips with a deep mauve lipstick. " Well, he kind of got weirded out when he saw me in that costume."  
  
Meredith lifted an eyebrow. "Weirded out?"  
  
"All right, he got jealous. And a little--"  
  
"Possessive?"  
  
Though she tried, Belle couldn't bite back the grin. "Maybe a little."  
  
Meredith laughed then. "And now you're pleased with yourself because you managed to make a man jealous? And insecure? Oh Belle, hon, I don't know how I could have ever thought you were a bitch. You, my dear, couldn't be one if you tried." She leaned over Belle and looked at their reflections in the dressing mirror. "Just look at that smug face! You'll be impossible to live with now that you have a man drooling over you."  
  
Shawn watched them from the doorway. Early still, Belle and Meredith were the only dancers there yet, and he didn't feel so much like an intruder with only them there. To his disappointment, Madison Renee was nowhere to be seen--probably already in bed, he mused. Her mother didn't like for her to be in the club during business hours, a fact which Shawn both admired and respected. And though he wanted to cross the room and draw Belle into his arms, he waited, wanting to hear a little more of what they were saying.  
  
Belle's face turned serious in the reflection as her eyes met Meredith's. "I don't want to sound cliché, but it's never been like this before."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, with Phillip it was always about sex and passion and heat. All that was ever really between us was an intense physical attraction. We were two rangy teenagers with raging hormones who stumbled into each other's arms. With Shawn--"  
  
His stomach tightened so violently that he automatically stepped forward before she could finish her thought, and made himself known. "Excuse me, ladies."  
  
Both Belle and Meredith wheeled around, their eyes wide with shock and something that resembled embarrassment. Because Belle was at a loss for words, Meredith took the initiative to speak first. "Shawn, hello there."  
  
He said a quick prayer for the strength to take a step in the right direction. _It's never been like this before._ "Hi. Meredith, right?" He offered a sweaty hand. "Nice to see you again."  
  
Sex was Meredith's answer to awkward situations. Playfully, she let her gaze run over him. She then took his hand and practically purred. "Likewise."  
  
Getting more nervous by the minute, Shawn averted his gaze to Belle. "'Evenin', Belle."  
  
"Hello, Shawn."  
  
Meredith watched them as they allowed awkward silence to settle into the room. Amateurs, she thought with a snort, grabbing her makeup bag from the desk and heading for the door. "Well, I hate to leave good company, but I believe I heard Alex come in. I think I'll try to seduce him before the show. A good way to kill time, you know?" That said, she left the her friend to deal with things herself.   
  
It was Shawn who decided to break the silence. "Not shy is she?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh Meredith? Nope, not shy. Anything _but_ shy. Did you know she hated my guts up until the day I met you? Isn't that strange?"  
  
Ignoring the burning in his heart, he stepped over to the vanity, leaned down and left a trail of kisses down Belle's neck. "Yes," he said against her skin. "Very strange. Where's the monster?"  
  
God, she couldn't speak. How could he think she could speak at a time like this? "Hmm?"  
  
"Madison? Where is she tonight?" He lifted a hand and ran it over her shoulder, enjoying the feel of the silky fabric of the costume and the softness of her skin.  
  
"Upstairs." She jumped involuntarily when that hand skimmed the side of her breast, closed over it through the fabric. Her eyes flew open and met his, which were dark and intense, in the mirror. "Shawn--"  
  
The rest was lost as he rounded the chair and lifted her into his arms. "I'm sick of lonely, restless nights, Belle."  
  
"Not now." She managed, though his mouth closed over hers consuming the desperate words. Her taste was fascinating and femine and left him wanting more every time he was under lucky enough circumstances to sample it. God, he wanted her. He wanted her unlike he'd ever wanted any other woman. He wanted her for those sad eyes, that happy giggle, that amazingly tender heart that he already knew so well.   
  
He pulled back from the kiss violently, and when her gaze would have dropped, placed a hand under her chin and held it to his. "Not now." He repeated her words in a thick voice that he barely recognized as his own. "But soon." His lips sought hers again just as they heard voices begin to fill the club. "Soon." 


	11. Chapters Nineteen and Twenty

**Santa Baby~Chapter 19**  
  
**_Christmas Eve: Belle's Apartment_**

  
  
Four days. Four excruciatingly long days since she'd last seen him. Since she'd last tasted him. Since she'd last heard his voice. Dammit, it shouldn't be getting to her like this. She shouldn't feel so heartbroken just because she'd spent a couple of days without him. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just take things--including men--at face value?  
  
Her relationship--or whatever it was--with Shawn was strictly casual. He was under no obligation to come by or even call for that matter. She was just making too big of a deal out of silly technicality. She needed to take a step back and put her emotions in check; however, some things are simpler said than done, and after that last encounter with Shawn, it was nearly impossible to simply put him our of her mind and forget. For now, though, she had to.  
  
It was Christmas Eve morning, and any minute now her little girl would come crawl into bed with her mother, a habit that had become a simple Christmas tradition in their tiny household. Christmas Eve was one of the rare days Belle had off, and both she and her daughter would take full advantage of the morning, the afternoon, and the evening. It was morning's turn now, she thought, when she heard the quiet padding of Madison's feet across cold linoleum. Automatically, she smiled as her little girl, with the bed-tossed mane of golden hair and the sleep-heavy eyes, crept into the room. Pulling back her covers, Belle gestured for Maddy to join her, and within seconds, they were both wrapped under the warm protection of the quilt.  
  
Belle gently went to stroking and taming Maddy's wild hair and in a whispered, beautiful voice that was only for the two them, she sang _Away in A Manger_, a Christmas lullaby favorite of both mother and daughter.  
  
Lulled into sleep by the soft singing, Madison curled into the bed and enjoyed the quiet, simple routine of one of the best mornings of the year. Even Belle allowed herself to relax for a few moments and bask in the love of her daughter. It was funny, though she'd been left heartbroken by her first love, she'd never regretted a moment of her and Phillip's time together. After all, he had given her the most precious gift she'd ever received. Madison Renee. And though their quick-paced, naive relationship had left Belle with no dreams, no family, and no love, she couldn't resent any of it because of Maddy.  
  
What had she done to deserve such an angel? Such a precious gift? With Maddy she had love. Unconditional love that she'd never even hoped to have. And now that she did. She would always have it. Pressing her lips to her love's soft hair, Belle carefully rose from the bed and tiptoed across the room into its adjoining bath.  
  
After stripping, she turned on the water of the tiny shower and stepped into its lukewarm stream. She'd been meaning to get their hot water fixed for several weeks now, but due to the lack of funds this Christmas, she'd had to put everything into getting her daughter at least one gift. She thought of the soft, rather sad teddy bear that she'd picked out. It wouldn't replace Da--nothing could in Maddy's heart--but it certainly would make Maddy's blue eyes light up as a child's should on Christmas morning. Belle had then gone to Wal-Mart and picked out a bright bag with Santa Claus on it to slip the bear into, then bought a bag of Hershey's kisses to fill the single stocking that was hanging on the end of Madison's bed.  
  
It wasn't much--the teddy bear or the candy--but it was from her heart. And, by God, it was all she could afford.  
  
Tears streamed down her face and mixed with the hard water of the shower. As a child, she'd never imagined a Christmas of want or need or longing. Now, she couldn't imagine a Christmas without it. So much had changed, so much had been lost and forgotten. Would she ever have that careless, childhood feeling of Christmas again?  
  
The knocking at the door shattered her thoughts like glass. Meredith probably, she thought with a smile, stepping out of the shower and throwing on a huge, terricloth robe. She glanced at her sleeping daughter as she passed through the bedroom, relieved that the knocking hadn't awaken her, then plodded to the door and pulled it open. Moments later, she was giggling in Shawn's arms.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" He announced cheerfully, swinging her through the door and kicking it shut behind them. "Miss me?"  
  
When she managed to regain her footing, she brought her index finger to his lips in order to silence him. "Shh. She's sleeping." Her eyes widened when he took her finger in his lips, sucked gently on it. "Yes," she breathed, enjoying the sensation. "I missed you very much."  
  
"You taste like rain." He drew her closer, pressed his lips to hers. "And honey."  
  
She raised an eyebrow, swatted him playfully away, and thought it best not to ask where he'd been the last four days. "Honey, hmm? Well, I probably taste like rain because you interrupted my shower. And the honey, well frankly, I think you're making that up. What are you doing here? It's Christmas Eve, shouldn't you be with your family?"  
  
The pain that shot through his heart at the word was best to ignore. "Shouldn't _you_ be with yours?" He countered, not giving her a chance to respond, and capturing her lips in yet another heart-melting kiss. His hands came up to frame her face, the skin he found there was moist and soft and terribly alluring. It was strange that something so little as a touch or a kiss could so completely unnerve him. And because her touch and her kiss were doing just that, he pulled away and gave her bottom a friendly pat. "Go get some clothes on. We're going out."  
  
"Out?"  
  
"Yep, don't worry, just for a couple of hours, and I've made arrangements for Madison." He crossed over to the door, pulled it open to reveal Jenifer leaning on the door of the apartment across the hall.  
  
She sent a wink at Belle and strode confidently in the room. "Where's that angel of yours, Belle, honey? I'm ordered to look after her a couple hours." She reached down into 'V' of her bright red sweater and pulled out a crisp hundred dollar bill. "Don't argue, darling, he's paying well."  
  
Shocked, Belle's eyes passed from Jenifer to Shawn then back again. All she could manage to do was nod and disappear into her bedroom to dress for her day. All the regret and longing of the early morning had passed and were now aptly replaced with excitement and childlike joy.  
  
  
  
  


**Santa Baby~Chapter 20**

  
  
"You're a lawyer." Belle stated dully, eyeing Shawn's BMW which looked terribly out of place in the tiny parking lot of her apartment complex. "A rich lawyer."  
  
Shawn caught her hand in his, kissed it through the gloves she'd slipped on. "I'm a lawyer, and I suppose I'm fairly wealthy." He stopped and turned her so that she was facing him. "Neither of those facts have anything to do with us, Belle. Don't let that intimidate you."  
  
Intimidate? The emotion she was feeling at the moment was not intimidation. It was pure terror. And though his easy smile and touch were helping to soothe that terror, she still could've easily been sick right there in the parking lot. "Of course not. It doesn't intimidate me at all."   
  
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. If she wasn't intimidated, then why was she looking at his car like it would shatter into a million pieces if she so much as touched it? Instead of pursuing the issue, he opened the passenger door and shuffled her inside.  
  
It certainly was strange that a thing as simple as a car could seem so fragile and luxurious. The seats were a dark, charcoal grey leather and nicer than anything she'd ever owned herself. Wasn't that sad? She thought, fingering the soft leather, while Shawn rounded the hood of the car to join her. That a _car_ could be nicer than her entire apartment. Hell, her entire life. This damn car was reason enough not to get involved with a man like Shawn Brady. Reason enough. "Nice car." She murmured when he slipped into the seat beside her.  
  
"Just a car, though." He could see the worry in her eyes. And the distant desire. Just a car, he repeated in his mind. Yet a car to some could be everything. She could've had a car like his. Very easily she could have gone to college, become a lawyer herself if she'd had the mind to. Or a teacher. Or a doctor. She certainly had the brains, the hidden ambition. What had happened in Belle Black's life that made her choose the path she did? She was obviously capable of much more than exotic dancing in his eyes, why was it that she ended up doing something that left her so clearly unhappy?  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
The question startled him from his thoughts. He refocused his eyes on her and offered a gentle smile before cranking the car. It purred smoothly and even sounded rich. "Shopping."   
  
She secretly admired how easily the BMW took to the road. "Shopping?"  
  
"Yeah--you know--buy a few gifts, fight rude crowds, try on unflattering clothes. Shopping." Her laughter was welcomed by both of them and cut through the awkward tension like a knife. It was probably fairly useless to tell him that she didn't have any money to shop with, so she simply settled back in her seat and enjoyed the ride.  
  
"So," Shawn cleared his throat and sent her a sidelong glance after a few unsettling moments of silence. "What does the monster want from Ol' Santa Claus?"  
  
Belle felt her throat tighten. Telling him that Madison wanted a father for Christmas would seemed presumptuous, wouldn't it? She shifted against the soft leather. "It's silly really."  
  
"Every child's Christmas wish is silly, Belle. Tell me."  
  
"A father." She blurted out, taking no heed to his reaction. "Madison wants a father for Christmas."  
  
He shrugged and chuckled a little. "A father, huh? Well, I'm not sure I can find one on such short notice, but I'll sure try." He liked the way she'd said it. With that same hopefulness that her daughter had said it. A tone that made him want to cry and gather them both in his arms, then make all of their dreams come true. At the moment, he didn't much care for that feeling. And it was probably best to get off this touchy subject of Christmas wishes altogether. "What happened to her real father, if you don't mind me asking?" So much for switching to less awkward topics of conversation.  
  
It was ridiculous. So ridiculous that every time she thought of the man her stomach would tie up in knots. She didn't hate him. She'd never hate him, yet still the thought of him made her want to puke. "He wasn't ready to be a father." She whispered, quietly.  
  
He could've denied the anger and frustration that he felt at that statement. Or he could've just ignored it and left it hanging. He did neither. "And you _were_ ready to be a mother?"  
  
She noted the rage in his tone. "I had no choice. Madison was meant to be a part of my life, and I wouldn't have given her up for anything. He chose to, and it's his loss."  
  
How could she be so calm and rational when this was obviously tearing her up inside? He focused on the road as it winded out in front of them. "Yeah, his loss. Does he keep in touch at all?"  
  
She thought of Phillip and the impersonal greeting cards that he sent on Madison's birthday and at Christmas. She thought of the article she'd seen in a local newspaper over two years ago that announced the engagement of socialite Phillip Kiriakis to one of Atlanta's most upstanding women. Yes, he kept in touch. She knew what was going on in his life, even when she didn't want to. He had no idea of what was going on in their's. He probably didn't even care. It was best that Shawn knew nothing of that. "No."  
  
Asshole! He wanted to scream it. Wanted to shake Belle and make her see just what kind of man he must've been to leave darling Madison. To leave them both. Yet, he chose to say nothing because he could see that deep down Belle knew it. She knew it and she accepted it and that was just what he needed to do.  
  
The rest of the drive to Town Center Mall was in silence. 


End file.
